Royal Reign
by Beckon
Summary: Of course here, in the revived Edenian palace, with no one else but her, he let his guard down; he let his facade falter and gave her brief glimpses into the man he really was. In the absolute peace of Edenia, he could be more than just the Thunder God he played. [Now Rated M]
1. Proposal

"Queen Sindel."

A light smile came to her at the way her name sounded when it was spoken from his lips.

She didn't need to turn around to see who it was; she knew him by the sound of his voice, by the slight vibrato that rolled off of his tongue.

The moment he set foot on the Edenian palace grounds... she knew.

He brought a slight change in the air- a small rise in the pressure around him, slightly altering what many had called the perfect atmosphere of Eden. He brought forward a change, an alteration, one that stirred up her spine and rolled across the back of her neck.

One that sent lightning down to her fingertips- much like the kind he could conjure up with free will.

"Ladies, if you will," Sindel started, speaking to the four helpers who were gathered around by her feet- pinning the ends of her gown together for later tailoring. She watched as they each hastily finished the pin they were on, before they scooped up their supplies and hurried out of the room. Despite their attempts to hide it, she could hear the maidens giggling amongst each other as they pulled the room doors closed behind them.

Ensuring that the two of them would have absolute privacy.

Maybe.

She lightly smoothed out the front of her gown before she turned to face him- smiling at the Thunder God as he started the long walk across the room to her. But she was not one without virtues as she stepped down the short stairway before her and moved to meet him halfway.

While her throne room was elegant and extravagant, and filled with things worthy of a monarch's attention... sometimes it was simply too much.

Sometimes she wanted him to be with her immediately rather than suffer through this long walk.

But it made the finishing steps that much sweeter.

She walked towards him with open arms, as the thin material of her gown flowed around her. "Lord Raiden," Sindel spoke, glad to say his name aloud once more, "it is good to see you finally decided to visit us again."

He greeted her with a smile.

"I apologize for the long wait," Raiden began, "and I hope I am not interrupting something."

Sindel felt him take one of her hands and watched as he brought it to his lips- and felt the gentle brush of a kiss against the back of it. It was more than difficult to hide the way the gesture made her melt. "You? No, never," she assured, as she lightly squeezed his hand once before he released her. "However, I must ask that you do not make me wait such an unknown length of time again."

Her remark brought another smile to his usually stoic face.

"There is still much to do in Earthrealm, and unfortunately every fighter we have is dealing with certain tasks of their own," he spoke. "It leaves many hands tied, and it is difficult to find the proper time for business when... there is hardly enough time to rest."

His sense of dedication to Earthrealm had always been admirable to her.

Even after all these years, his love for the realm had never faltered.

"I assure you, Lord Raiden, I know exactly what you mean."

A quiet chuckle left him, allowing her another glimpse at the true character that laid beneath the stoic mask he carried.

"Yes, I... I have no doubts about that," Raiden nodded. "How are things here in Edenia? My lack of visiting has put me... rather behind on current events."

"Edenia is still healing, but... it is still the same as I have always remembered it," she started. "And, after all these years, it is good to finally be back again. There is still much for us to do, but it is beginning to feel like home."

"That is good to hear," he spoke- and it was impossible to not hear the honest sincerity in his voice when he did so. "And of your... brood?"

Sindel smiled and found a small laugh answering the question for her, as she reached forward and lightly tangled her fingers in his thick sleeve. "Kitana is doing well here. She is finally learning about her home realm, and learning to step into her new, proper role as Princess. She will make Edenia proud, I know it. However... that is not to say that we haven't had more than a few bumps along the way..."

A light frown caught him at the words- diminishing the radiant look he had when he smiled.

It did not take long for him to understand her lead though.

"Are you referring to Mileena?" Raiden asked.

"I will give Kitana credit- she is trying," Sindel nodded. "They are both still very much bitter towards one another... corrupted in a sense, I suppose. But I have hope and confidence that they will work it out. It is not an easy feat, that I know; they were both raised under horrible conditions, and those habits and memories will be difficult to break. But Edenia is known to heal, and with time, they will heal."

"You have always impressed me, Sindel," he started- noticeably dropping her title when he spoke her name, sending a warm chill down her back. "Not many people would... willingly take in Shao Kahn's creation."

...

While such a thing was the truth... she did not like people referring to Mileena like that.

In truth, she herself had been rather indifferent to it before- there was no denying that yes, Mileena was in fact a creation produced by Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung. But when she meet Mileena face-to-face, when she experienced the young woman for what she was, and saw how she acted, and saw the way she carried herself... There was nothing of Shao Kahn in her.

Instead, Sindel saw herself.

She saw her own wild, and untamed youth.

She saw sharpened nails and an even sharper tongue- one that was ready to cross words at anyone who might mistaken her to be an easy target.

In Mileena, she saw a careful, titter-tottering balance between elegance and mayhem; peace and chaos.

And those had all been her traits- no one else's.

"Mileena is a creation of sorcery, yes, but she was created from Kitana- who is my own flesh and blood," Sindel spoke. "And as such, my hand goes out to Mileena as well. Whether or not she chooses to accept her place here in Edenia is up to her, but she will always be welcomed here. She was, after all, the one who freed Edenia in the first place. I owe her that much- both as someone who will be forever grateful for her deed, and... also as her respective mother."

His colorless eyes seemed to seek something out in hers, and she felt the pressure around them shift once again.

"Many people I know could learn a lot from you," Raiden remarked.

"It is not that hard to accept someone who has been deemed unloveable," she started, "but it will be difficult to have her accept us in the same light. Edenia is coming together, but she is still wounded- and we will need as many of us as we can get to rebuild her." she paused slightly and offered him a sly smile. "And seeing how close Kitana has been getting with one of your Earthrealm warriors... I anticipate that we may be getting more sooner than expected."

He frowned slightly and put on what might've been a mock look of displeasure.

"I cannot be held responsible for the actions, or behaviors, of _certain_ Earthrealm fighters."

Sindel lightly laughed at his rather quick response, and took note of his withheld expression, which soon faltered at the sound of her laughter. She had no doubts that the Thunder God knew exactly who she spoke of- but he certainly wasn't about to put himself into the middle of it.

It was unnecessary to after all.

"While we are on the subjects of Earthrealm and Edenia," she spoke, "and how we are both trying to get back on our feet, it would be nice to... formally announce our alliance to one another."

Raiden seemed slightly taken back by the remark- or rather, more so confused by it. "We have had our stumbles in the past, Sindel, but I can assure you that Earthrealm will always be an Edenian ally."

"And for that, I will always be grateful," Sindel nodded, as her fingers slowly trailed down his arm, running over the folds of his sleeve. "You are the greatest ally Edenia could have, Raiden, and I wish to make a proposal for you."

"A proposal?" he repeated; his tone oddly attentive and curious now- seemingly intrigued, yet cautious about her next answer.

"A marital one."

...

He was easily taken by surprise with her words- no amount of preparing could have braced him for them.

But, despite the near look of utter shock on his face, it was difficult to not find a sense of amusement in the broken look. He was always so stoic and stiff- always so serious and focused that it was hard to imagine him with too many other expressions.

Of course here, in the revived Edenian palace, with no one else but her, he let his guard down; he let his facade falter and gave her brief glimpses into the man he really was. In the absolute peace of Edenia, he could be more than just the Thunder God he played.

"It is only a proposal; it does not demand an immediate answer," Sindel continued, perhaps bringing him some relief. "It does not have to be an official marriage- it can be for diplomatic purposes instead. It would be like... an extended safety measure for Edenia, so to say- not that I believe another man like Shao Kahn will arise any time soon, or ever for that fact. But if one does, it will be harder to simply waltz in here and force my hand."

Not that she would ever allow herself to be taken advantage of again.

No man would ever erase her mind and force her to become someone less of who she was now.

If someone so much as threatened Edenia in the slightest, she would strike them down.

Edenia would not be a realm of victims.

It was a realm of Queens, and Goddesses- and nothing less.

Her fingers trailed further down until they stroked the back of his hand, causing it to flinch slightly in surprise; she brushed them slowly over his knuckles, before fingers gently slid and interlocked with his own.

"Or, perhaps if the Heavens wish it, it could be a domestic marriage as well," she finished, soft and slowly.

His eyes never moved away from her own- even as white and pupil-less as they were, she knew they were stuck focusing on hers. She could spot the ever slight twitch on the corners of his lips as words seemed to evade him. His hand felt hot against her own and she felt him ever so slightly squeeze her- sending small, harmless shocks of static into her fingertips.

"It is... certainly worth thinking on," Raiden started; despite the small hints of his composure coming undone, his voice remained steady and deep. "I believe I will have to speak to the Elders about this and see if such proposal... will hold."

Right at the near end of his words there was hesitation.

A momentary crack.

Sindel offered a smile and moved her free hand to take his other one into her grasp as well. "That is good to hear."

"Is it?"

His voice was strung with a hint of disbelief.

"If you're thinking about it than you haven't outright denied it."


	2. Contemplation

**A/N: So I wasn't expecting the turnout that the first chapter got, but it was definitely very exciting to see that some of you wanted me to continue with the story! I had plans to continue it originally, but decided to just keep to the oneshot instead- this has changed now. Because, let's face it, as it was pointed out, there's not a lot of Sindel-related stories out there- let alone Sindel/Raiden.**

 **I'm excited for this story to go on, but a little nervous too, so just bear with me for awhile until I get into the swing of things. I'm writing with some new characters I don't typically write with, and still trying to get myself into the MK mindset. Hopefully it turns out well.**

* * *

"Ah, brother, it's good to see you are back. Tell me, how was Edenia?"

The words barely fazed Raiden as he continued to walk across the open courtyard of the Sky Temple- too lost in his thoughts to even acknowledge the other man. His mind was winding and reeling from Sindel's words- from her proposal.

A proposal...

A marriage of all things...

He couldn't stop the words from repeating over and over again in his head; it was as though they were taunting him for his answer of stunned silence in front of the Queen. She was far from being insistent with the offer, but... it was clear that this was not the first time she had thought of it- not the first time she had considered it even. And that observation in itself made his head spin faster.

"I see the Edenian Queen has rendered you speechless once again."

Raiden stopped as the words snapped him back into focus, bringing him back into the world of the Sky Temple- which, as usual, was covered in a fresh coating of rain. There was a minor chill in the air, and the breeze brought in the salt from the ocean nearby. A quiet rumble of thunder in the distance said that the storm had passed, but no doubt another would follow soon enough. No doubt influenced by his rather erratic thoughts.

He turned at the sound of wet footsteps and watched as Fujin made his way towards him from one of the temple's open archives- no doubt having just gotten out of meditation based on his calm aurora. Not that that would last long either.

"Fujin," Raiden finally acknowledged, "you must forgive me, I have my mind preoccupied at the moment."

"Is that so?" the Wind God questioned, his tone implying a sense of concern. "And what, pray tell, has your head in such a tight knot?"

He didn't quite believe his brother's mask of concern- especially considering he could already sense the untying of his energy. "I spoke with Queen Sindel," Raiden started, "and she made quite the proposal to me."

Fujin shot him a look of amusement now, providing the true show of his essence, before he leaned against the small banister between them. "Queen Sindel has always had quite the way with words- as all Edenians do. What kind of proposal did she offer you?"

Raiden paused slightly at the question, and wrestled with his mind over the answer- unsure exactly how to give one. "She wished to make the alliance between Earthrealm and Edenia more secure," he spoke.

"A noble cause," Fujin nodded, "Earthrealm has not... always been the greatest ally to Edenia."

... Raiden didn't wish to linger on such a true statement.

Many of times before, Earthrealm had drug its heels in favor of what the Elder Gods wanted.

If he himself had not been so insistent on following the Elder Gods' words, many things in the past could have been avoided. Many heartaches could have been prevented had they done what should've been done in the first place- rather than allow the Elders to strike down their proposals.

Edenia was just now healing after centuries in prison, when such a fate could've been avoided overall.

"She wishes to marry," Raiden finally answered.

"Marry?" Fujin repeated, all hint of amusement replaced by a stark sense of surprise. "Who exactly does she-" his sentence stopped the moment the words seemed to click; the moment their entire conversation seemed to come back, and an answer bestowed itself upon him. "Ha!"

Raiden frowned at the brisk laugh that left his younger brother, and narrowed his eyes at the Wind God's humorous expression- which was quickly replaced with a, rather poorly conceived, look of seriousness.

"Queen Sindel is a woman not to be taken lightly," Fujin began, his illusion already breaking as he fought back an obvious grin, "- however, the men who fall at her feet tend to be quite questionable-"

The Wind God was cut off as a quick bolt of lightning struck at the banister between them, causing him to jump back in surprise.

"Could you risk being serious just this once?" Raiden pressed.

"I was merely teasing," Fujin assured, as he nervously brushed off the front of his vest, but decided to keep his distance still. "Where did such a proposal come from? And perhaps, more importantly, what did you say?"

"I..." Raiden found himself stuck on the word for a few seconds too long, "... I didn't answer."

Fujin shot him a look of surprise and disbelief. "You didn't... ? Do forgive me, brother, but... when a woman like Queen Sindel asks for your hand in marriage... you don't not give her an answer-"

"It is a matter that I intend to look quite heavily into before I give an official response," Raiden interrupted, eager to cut his brother's words early. "Not to mention, I need to speak with the Elder Gods about such an arrangement; I need to make sure that it's even permitted to take place before I give it any further thought."

"You and the Elder Gods- have you considered that this might be a subject that does _not_ need their approval?" Fujin pressed. "You asked me to be serious, so here, I'll play your part. Do you even want to marry Queen Sindel?"

The notable atmospheric change hinted that the hold over their combined erratic energy was becoming... loose and unstable. The wind was beginning to pick up once more, and the storm that had been departing over the horizon had shifted course and was rolling back towards the temple.

The salt in the air had been masked by the beginning drops of rain that were coming down around them.

The Wind God's question made him pause as he became unsure of how to go forward with answering it. "It would create a sustainable pact between Earthrealm and Edenia- and it would certainly thwart anyone who would attempt to take control over Edenia again," Raiden started. "Which, such a pact would be beneficiary to both realms considering our stress with Outworld right now. And considering that we too faced the possibility of losing Earthrealm, we're in dire need of as many alliances as we can get. The Netherrealm will always throw something at us, and Outworld still harbors strong opposition towards Earthrealm; and Heavens forbid what might happen should the seal around Chaosrealm finally erode. The Special Forces is struggling enough to keep the realm's pockets of energy from escaping through the portal. By a political standpoint, a marriage between Queen Sindel and I is reasonable- and beneficial to all."

His brother did not immediately respond to him, but judging by the way he crossed his arms, it would not take him long to find his words.

"You failed to answer my question," Fujin spoke. "Is this something you want to do? Something you would be happy with? Have you considered the implications of this pact if the two of you come to a point where you no longer wish to remain married? You are next to immortal, as are Edenians, this will be for a longer run than you are thinking. Is a pact that important if you end up unhappy with one another?"

Raiden frowned once again at the remark, not willing to admit to how the words dug under his skin, before he turned and walked away from the man- continuing on towards the temple. "This is not a personal matter, Fujin. We will discuss details after I speak with the Elder Gods."

He heard the roar of wind pick up in the distance.

"... I'm just trying to look after you."

* * *

"- Considering our previous ordeal with Shinnok, having added security will be nothing less than a positive for Earthrealm," Raiden spoke, watching as the Elder Gods before him looked to one another at the words. It would certainly be impossible for them to forget just how close Shinnok had come to slaying all of them- how close he had come to releasing the One Being on them. If the Dark God had not been brought down when he was... things could've turned out for the worst- for all of them.

If there was one positive from it though, it did put fear into the hearts of the Elder Gods. And if there was one way to convince the Elders to agree to something, it was to have something that could affect them as well.

They had ignored Shao Kahn's cheating in the Tournament decades before because it did nothing specific to them.

They ignored the Revenant, and the continuous pleads for help, because the Revenant could not touch them.

... But all it took was Shinnok being one step away from the stairway to the Heavens... and suddenly they were vulnerable.

They were... approachable.

 _"Very well,"_ one of the Elders finally spoke; his voice echoing quite heavily in the empty space surrounding them- shaking the air with an articulate vibrato. _"If you wish to proceed with this arrangement, then so be it."_

 _"Edenia is weak, however,_ " another Elder reminded, and warned, _"if she threatens to drag us down, be prepared to cut all ties."_

The words caused the breath in Raiden's chest to catch, but he held the motion stiff and close to him- making it invisible to the outside eye. They had their reasons, he was certain... They were looking out for Earthrealm's safety and sovereignty as well. This entire situation, it was simply a matter of investing in both realms- and the Elders would not like to lose their investment.

"... Of course."

 _"Then we have reached an agreement, and our business here is through."_

He left before another word could be spoken- before a last second objection could decide to throw itself into the open.

...

Raiden thought of nothing as he returned to Earthrealm, as he set foot back into the Sky Temple. He would choose to forgo seeing Fujin at this time- the harsh winds and hail outside told him that the Wind God was still in turmoil over their previous conversation.

... And the heavy bolts of lightning and roaring thunder said that he himself was dealing with it in the same manner.

Even if they were to speak and calm down, the storm would still rage on for a few hours longer- so there was no sense in trying to bring it to an early stop.

"What did the Elders say?"

Raiden was startled by the question and stopped as he noticed that Bo Rai Cho seemed posed to meet him at the end of the stairway. And considering that he had told no one else of his trip to the Elders, he could only presume one thing of it. "Let me guess," Raiden started instead, as he reluctantly moved to greet the man, "Fujin?"

"Your brother means well, Raiden," Bo Rai Cho spoke, "he's just trying to look after you- especially after what had happened regarding Shinnok."

He frowned at the reminder and looked away from the man- hearing a roar of thunder pick up outside.

Not only had Shinnok beaten him nearly to death... he became corrupt with the Dark God's energy after purging the Jinsei, and Earthrealm, of his essence.

It took him nearly a year of self-isolation and assisted meditation before he was able to overcome the influences- not before causing some lingering damages to a few of the people he swore to protect.

That year alone had been utter Hell for him as he battled it out with a presence that did and did not exist- a presence that never should've existed. It had felt like he was being torn apart from the inside; like his body had been ripped to shreds, only to be put back together as a different person. It drove him through bouts of insanity, which wrecked utter destruction upon the land as unstable energy created pockets of dark matter across Earthrealm.

It was a ' _clean up job from Hell_ ', as General Blade had put it.

... Fujin did everything in his power to help him through the corruption; and while the Wind God did eventually pull him through it, it left his brother with plenty of scars and weight to bear on his own.

All of that was behind him now though... there were more important matters to discuss, and he'd much rather not linger on the past.

"I know-" Raiden started.

"But what did the Elders say?" Bo Rai Cho interrupted with... perhaps too much eagerness. "Will the proposal hold merit?"

Raiden wasn't surprised that Fujin had spilled the entire matter out to the man- and he supposed he couldn't blame him either. "For now, yes-" before he could so much as finish his thought, Raiden felt the man sweep him into a stiff bear hug- nearly lifting his feet off of the ground with it.

"We need a time and date my friend! You and I should celebrate tonight!"

He wheezed slightly at the tight compression, feeling his ribs slightly shift, before the monk dropped him back onto his feet. "Let's not... make haste with this just yet," Raiden spoke, trying to catch his lost breath. "I haven't made a concrete decision on the matter. I'm still thinking it over- it is quite a big decision to make."

"Do not make the Lady Sindel wait long," Bo Rai Cho spoke, as he planted his hands on his arms and squeezed them, "she is a gift to this realm."

* * *

He didn't sleep well that night, or maybe at all considering he watched the sun set and inevitably rise in one setting. The storm eventually dissipated, and the lack of wind howling said enough about his brother- although there was still enough of a breeze to offset the wind chimes outside.

As soon as the morning had settled in, and the monks had left for their morning rituals, he departed from the temple.

There was one more thing he wished to cover before he made his decision- a few more people he needed to speak with.

"Raiden."

He watched as Sonya barely looked over the report in hand to acknowledge him, before she went back to the work in front of her. She wasn't in her office this morning, which was unusual for her, but it made her easier to locate in one of the recreational tents. Perhaps she was taking the morning off to get away from her ringing phone, enjoy her coffee in peace, and focus on the paperwork that had been piling up- as judged by the stack that was in front of her.

"Blade," he replied, letting the tent fall close behind him as he stepped in- cutting out some of the noise from the rest of the base.

"The next time you and Fujin want to get into a disagreement, try to take it somewhere else- the two of you nearly knocked all my birds out of the air," she spoke; her tone stiff, although it underlined with a hint of frustration and exhaustion. "I can't afford to replace a couple of vertibirds every time you two want to conjure up a storm."

Right.

It wouldn't be the first time her arsenal of air support had... gotten damaged by their antics- although that was more so on Fujin's behalf.

"I apologize. We butted heads over... an important matter- one that I now wish to discuss with you," Raiden replied. "It would involve everyone's opinion, but considering that you are the one I trust most, and are the easiest to locate, I came to you first."

Sonya looked up to him once more, before she slowly set her report aside- convinced that what he had to say was worth her time. "Alright," she offered, "let's hear it then."

Raiden hesitated, before he nodded and began to speak. "I visited Edenia just yesterday, and... Queen Sindel made a rather interesting proposition. One that could benefit Edenia and Earthrealm as a whole."

"Yes well, Queen Sindel is a diplomat- true to her word."

"She proposed a marriage between her and I," he finished, watching as Sonya paused in the midst of drinking her coffee. He watched as her eyes shot up to his, as though looking for a hint that he might just be toying with her. "It would strengthen our pact, and officially declare our alliance to one another. In terms of a political standing, it's... not a farfetched idea."

The SF General set her cup aside and ran a hand over her tightly braided hair- looking lost for a response. "Raiden, I'll be honest with you," Sonya finally started, sounding more exhausted now than she had before, "if you want to talk marriage... you're speaking to the wrong damn person. From a diplomatic standing, sure, it makes sense- especially considering Edenian's history with being overruled. You would secure her standing as Queen, and Edenia's security as a realm. If someone wanted to try and upset that balance, they would have to go through you first in order to get to either Edenia or Sindel. I mean, doing so would bring more issues to Earthrealm, but hey, at this point, who isn't trying to kill us?"

"It's good to know that you're seeing this from a diplomatic state as well," Raiden nodded. "I have to admit, I'm still thinking the situation over, but... it seems hard to pass up on. Everyone is still in the process of recovering, and having the added security ourselves would help smooth things over in the future."

"Maybe then you can start breathing down her neck instead of mine," Sonya retorted, as she picked up her cup once more.

He hated to admit that he felt a sudden rush of heat come to his face at the remark- at the unnecessary... imagery.

"It was a joke, Raiden," she reiterated, as she pushed herself to her feet, and gathered up her papers.

"Coming from you, Blade? I'm surprised."

Raiden turned back to watch as Jackson stepped into the tent.

"Ha ha," Sonya mocked, as she got her papers in order, before she tucked them under her arm. "Here's an idea for you Raiden. Since you and I talked politics, you can talk domestics with Jax- and maybe get a clearer picture of what you're getting yourself into."

Without so much as a word of objection, Raiden watched as the SF General brushed past the two of them and walked out. The woman was in a constant state of being busy, but if there was anyone to take second after him in terms of caring for Earthrealm's safety... it was Sonya. So knowing that he had her approval on the matter was comforting- knowing that she agreed with where he stood on the whole thing... made him feel less intimidated by it.

"Do I want to know what the hell she's talking about?" Jax questioned.

"... We have much to discuss."


	3. Conversation

Sindel smiled at the sound of laughter that echoed up along the hillside as she followed the narrow, stone path in front of her- following the winding trail as it lead to the bathing springs below.

The faint sound of water being splashed about, along with the sharp laughter, said well enough that the springs were preoccupied this afternoon. And the occasional voices that shouted at one another said well enough who was there.

It was quite a walk from the palace, but the rolling Edenian hillsides made the travel all the more worth it. They were gorgeous to take in, especially when cut against the endless blue sky that hung overhead. Edenia was well known for its rains, and stormy weather, but the Gods seemed to smile on them today and blessed them with a cloudless sky.

The stone pathway ended at a large enclosure of flower bushes; ones that grew up and twisted themselves together with their fellow rootmate- creating a wall of privacy around the natural springs. They were beautiful when in full bloom, in which the entire wall would be shades of yellow and white- with the occasional pink thrown in. The blooms were the size of one's palm, and when plucked, could last a full month in a vase tucked next to the bed. She used to have a room decorated with nothing else but the colorful blooms- perhaps she would recreate it when the blooming season was in full swing.

Stepping through the small opening between two of the bushes, Sindel paused and watched from a distance as Kitana and Jade ran around in the shallows of the springs- kicking and splashing water at one another.

The two normally spent the early mornings training together under the cool Edenian sky- utilizing the wide open courtyards to their advantage. Although that wasn't to say that sometimes the courtyards just didn't seem big enough for them. That sometimes they could be seen running through courtyard after courtyard, only to dive into the palace itself in a tense show of control in battle. They could swing staffs and throw fans without so much as tarnishing the delicate silk curtains, or breaking stained glass windows. They could land artful, strategic jumps without scuffing the marble floors, or ripping into the extravagant rugs.

Often times, it was hard to dictate whether they had even gone into the palace or not.

So there was little doubt that the two had decided to take a break, and cool off in the springs- allowing the natural, holy water to cleanse them of sweat and dirt.

...

It was a growing time of peace, but that didn't mean that they had to release their guard so early- or so easily. Edenia was still vulnerable, still underpopulated; they would need every person available to defend it should the need arise.

With hope, however, her proposal would greatly cushion that need.

But for now, there was time to enjoy the warm, calming atmosphere that enveloped all of them.

... It was rather heartening to watch the two of them entertain themselves as they chased circles around one another. After being Revenant for so long, it was... difficult to transition back into normal living. Some of them were able to turnaround quite quickly, quite smoothly, while others still struggled. Perhaps getting Edenia back so quickly after they returned was what had helped them with the transitioning process. That wasn't to say that they didn't have their bad days, but... Edenia was healer; there were very few wounds that the realm could not heal.

Maybe not the scars, or the nightmares, but those were manageable compared to what the others were going through.

She had offered the other former Revenant a place in Edenia to gain peace, and heal, but so far none of them were willing. And it left a burrowing hole in her chest at the thought that many of them did not want anything to do with her. Not after the atrocities Shao Kahn had forced her to do.

After all, the only reason many of them were Revenant to begin with, was because of her.

It would take many, many years to clean her hands of their blood, but... she would do it.

"Having fun out here?" Sindel called, as she slowly made her way across the marble courtyard towards the springs- watching as the two stopped at the question and looked back to her. "I used to do the same when I was your age- of course, there was less clothing, and more boys involved."

"Mother," Kitana scolded lightly, as she readjusted the remaining black band of her uniform- the only thing covering her breasts for now; her extravagant armored pieces had been carefully dissembled and set aside to avoid getting wet.

Sindel quietly laughed at her daughter's mock tone- and at Jade's attempt to stifle her own laughter, which only earned the woman a roll of the eyes from Kitana. "There were ladies involved too," she added, much to Kitana's mounting dismay. "However, it's much more fun with a larger party- and when you're knowingly out past curfew." Good memories those were. "But unfortunately, I did not come here to talk about things from the past. In fact, there's something I need to discuss with you that will... affect the future of Edenia. And, as both of you are part of the ruling family, it will affect you as well."

"What is it?" Jade questioned, hardly wasting time with wanting to know.

"Lord Raiden came to visit yesterday, and I made a proposition to him," she started. "I wished to strength the alliance between Earthrealm and Edenia- to secure our growing future from any other potential... conflicts."

"If you're speaking of Kotal Kahn, I can assure you... that Mileena has it covered," Kitana spoke, hesitating slightly before she spoke her sister's name, only to quick add, "or at least, she has assured me of that."

Sindel knew that it wasn't easy for Kitana to forgive Mileena for the past, to look through it all and realize that the woman was not at fault for their rough childhood. Kitana might've still been haunted by the memory of stumbling over her half-clone by accident, but... Mileena was hardly the same person she was twenty-five years ago. She hardly even looked the same, let alone acted like she used to.

Years spent finding herself had done Mileena good.

It made her powerful, and confident- it helped her grow into her Edenian blood, and boast her heritage through her combative skills.

If Mileena said she had the Kotal Kahn situation taken care of, than there was no reason to believe otherwise.

After all, the woman had spent the past few weeks scattering Osh-Tekk heads throughout Outworld.

"I have no doubts about that. Mileena can handle herself well enough- and if she is anything like I was when I was that age... She will raise utter hell," Sindel smiled. "Now then, back to the business I made with Lord Raiden. You should know that, in terms of strengthening our alliance, the proposition I made to him was actually a marriage proposal."

The resulting silence was expected.

Sindel caught the slight frown on Kitana's lips, before the woman looked back to Jade, as though to confirm that she had heard the announcement correctly. Jade barely caught Kitana's eye as she only looked back to her in questioning.

"You and... Lord Raiden?" Jade repeated- as though to make absolutely certain that that was what she had said.

"All for an alliance?" Kitana questioned next, her voice pitched slightly in disbelief. "Isn't that... a bit of a stretch? Earthrealm is already our ally, and we have been strong since our recovery. There... there is no reason for you to offer yourself as such."

The mix of confusion, and continued disbelief eventually lead Sindel to understand the concern Kitana was trying to show.

Years spent chained next to Shao Kahn as his false Queen had ruined many aspects of marriage to her eldest daughter. To Kitana, it would seem to be nothing more than a position of control, of power. A way to force another leader into a position of submission so that one might rule two realms at once. And it did not matter if the other person in this would-be partnership was Lord Raiden of Earthrealm- for all they knew, Earthrealm could very well attempt to stab them in the back once the marriage was officiated.

... If it weren't for her own memories of Jared, and their peaceful marriage before, Sindel supposed the concept of it would've been ruined for her as well.

"Yes, but Edenia was strong before, and... things still did not end well for us," Sindel reminded, the words heavy on her tongue. "It is a strong political front to any opposition who might wish to come forth against us. And now that Edenia has three female heirs to it... needless to say, many will see you as an easy opening to conquer Edenia. A political marriage between Lord Raiden and I will ensure that our realm cannot be stolen out from underneath us again."

"Still... that is quite a sacrifice to make," Kitana continued; her voice sounding heavy, and uncertain now.

"You and Lord Raiden are old friends, I understand," Jade spoke, taking over for Kitana for now; she spoke a little easier, abet a little slow. "But... are you two compatible for marriage?"

Sindel smiled lightly at the remark- catching a few of her warmer, aged memories coming back to light. Memories of catching one another out past dark, ensuring that no guards could see or hear them. Memories of whispered words of warning and comfort- engaging in plans that she would never see him lead, but would personally hear about from Shao Kahn in a week's time.

Memories of warm hands against wet cheeks, and scattered kisses taken in the moonlight.

"Lord Raiden and I are old friends, yes; we've been together since the two of you were very young, and small," she nodded, pausing for just a few seconds, before she continued. "But there was a time in our lives where... we were much more than just friends- if only for a short period. I won't go into the details, it's quite obvious why we were never able to pursue much more than what we had. But the memories of him helped to keep me sane during the parts of my life that I don't distinctively remember. And while I'm afraid that today we may not be the same people we were back then, our feelings towards one another are no different."

She could see Kitana musing the words over as fingers subconsciously tugged at her blue belt in thought.

"Do you love him?" she finally asked, slow and cautious.

How odd it was that... she had been looking forward to that question. "Yes. I have for quite some time now," Sindel answered. "Do not think I made this proposal out of ill will of any sorts- this was by no means a way of trapping him with my feelings. This marriage will be professional first, and... domestic second- should it come to that. Be assured that whatever comes from this will be for the best of Edenia."

"What did Lord Raiden say to your proposal?" Jade spoke once more.

Sindel recalled memories of Raiden's stunned expression and stunted words- memories of him stumbling over what to say, or how to react. "He... well, he didn't give me an answer," she replied. "But Lord Raiden is a careful, and cautious thinker- and this will not be a light decision for him to make. He will no doubt consult with the people he wishes to get insight from, and then he will come back to me once his decision has been made. I am a patient woman, and there is, by no means, a rush on this. However, I know he will not keep me waiting for long."

Kitana made a soft scuffing noise under her breath, which sounded suspiciously like the word 'rude', before she rose her voice. "... And what if he says no?"

She would be lying if she said she had not considered that same scenario. "It will hardly be an issue," Sindel assured. "It was nothing more than an offer. We are still strong, and hopeful- and with Mileena controlling Outworld, we have no greater enemies known. We will be fine on our own."

"It has been many years since Edenia was last awake... When was the last time there was an Edenian wedding?" Jade asked.

An odd thing she had not yet considered.

"Perhaps the last Edenian wedding was... when I married Jared," Sindel started, finding even herself curious by the question. Edenia had been gone for many centuries, and its people had long been displaced- all of which had happened just mere months after her marriage. "It was long before either of you were born too, so even you two are unaware of the Edenian customs."

"It will be... a learning experience, I suppose," Kitana nodded.

"Perhaps you and Kitana could consider a double wedding and learn together," Jade offered.

"Jade!"

Despite Kitana's outburst, Jade continued- doing her best to maintain a straight face. "It would be like a double pact," she offered, "after all, I'm certain Grandmaster Hanzo is quite the Earthrealm representative-"

The dark-skinned woman was cut off as Kitana summoned her fans and used them to uplift a wave of water into her- nearly knocking her off of her feet had she not been anticipating it.

Sindel laughed at the display, watching as Jade just barely regained her footing while remaining completely drenched. "It was a nice suggestion, Jade," she offered, "but perhaps Kitana would prefer her own wedding later on down the road. After all, I'm certain the Shirai Ryu have their own traditions that they would like to see followed."

She watched as Kitana turned on her now, and she could see the contemplation in her face, the thoughts going through her mind. They did little to deter the Edenian Princess though, as she used her fans to throw a wave of water at her as well.

The water was warm from the sun bearing down on it on all morning, but that did little to change the fact that it still drenched her- soaking her dress until it was almost sheer and clung to her. "Oh come now," Sindel started, still laughing as she pushed her wet hair from her face. "I still need to speak with Mileena about this."

"The Outworld heat will dry you," Kitana assured, with a mild tongue of pettiness, before she changed her tune. "Do you need us to accompany you?"

"No, that's quite alright; I won't be long- and I have no fears in Outworld."

* * *

It was a drastic transition to go from Edenia to Outworld.

The years she had previously spent stuck in this realm should've given her a resistance to its heat, humidity, and overall dryness. But it didn't. And she still harbored the same kind of hate for it from years before. Her skin still bore scars from the sun and sands of this place; her Edenian skin had been unable to adapt to the environment as quickly as it should've. Or at least, as quickly as she needed it to.

Sindel made her way through the narrow streets, very well aware of the Tarkatan guards who followed her every step- following after her for her own protection; Empress's orders. She had never been a fan of their species either, and to a degree, she still wasn't. But they were loyal to Mileena, who was half-Tarkatan by blood, so she did what she needed to to remain civil around them.

She ducked her head as she stepped into the extravagant building that awaited her- its wide lobby offering some amount of shelter from the Outworld sun and humidity. She paused just long enough to observe the wide variety of battle trophies and possessions that lined and decorated the walls; most of which were just skulls of the defeated, and their stolen weapons.

Mileena had inherited her false father's eye for collection.

It was a far cry from the elegant paintings and rugs of Edenia, but... two separate worlds, two separate realms.

Waving off the guards, Sindel made her own way towards the winding staircase that would take her to the top floor- the Empress's suite.

Her heels were almost soundless against the stone stairs as she went floor by floor- working down the feeling of nerves that bundled uncomfortably under her fingertips. Decades of grievances left her still weary of Outworld, although it was an upgrade from simply hating it. If anything, at this point, she almost pitied the realm. Twenty-five years past Shao Kahn's death, and the people here have been caught up in an ever-lasting power struggle. This would be the first time in a long, long time that they would ever experience a sense of peace- and yet, war still lingered on the horizon.

They might never be free of it.

Arriving at the top floor, Sindel watched as several handmaids were already exiting the throne room before they spotted her- in which they quickly hurried out of her way and towards the stairs behind her; each one gently bowed as they passed her by, before they disappeared.

She walked across the short room she was in, before she stepped through the half-opened, double doors in front, and into the lavish room of the Empress. Rugs, and extravagant furs hung from the every small amount of wall space, sometimes spilling onto the floors below. And, much like the lobby downstairs, each rug was mismatched with a skull or weapon of some kind that hung next to it- personally handpicked.

The room was opened on two sides, where a wraparound balcony overlooked the streets and city below. The openness brought in the Outworld light and heat, as well as the sounds of the marketplace just down the street. Sheer curtains barely did much to keep any of it out, but they provided beautiful patterns that bled out across the floor in shadows.

And before her, was her youngest daughter.

The Outworld Empress was reclining back on a fainting couch, catching the heat that the breeze would bring in every now and again.

"Mileena," Sindel spoke, announcing herself just as the woman slowly picked herself up from the couch.

She was tall, and lean like Kitana was- although more athletically built and sporting more muscular undertone. Years of constant conflict, and endless fighting had honed her Edenian blood into the champion she would always be.

She lacked her veil this afternoon, revealing the crude, overlapping teeth that tore through her cheeks like a Glasgow grin.

But the teeth did not stop her lips from turning into a subtle smile.

"Mother."

Mileena had never hesitated to call Kitana her sister, much to the woman's slowly diminishing dismay.

And as such... she did not hesitate to call her mother.

A gesture that Sindel did not hesitate to welcome.

She smiled as she made her way across the room towards the Empress, before she placed her hands on Mileena's shoulders, and gently kissed the top of her forehead. The gesture might've seem childish to some, but... she had missed out on the entirety of Mileena's life. And considering that the woman was technically only twenty-five herself, that was hardly a second's worth of an Edenian year. "I hope the day has been treating you well," Sindel started, before she looked up at the sound of additional footsteps- watching as Tanya walked in from one of the open balconies; one hand barely tying her decorative top back on. "- And I hope I was not intruding."

"Hardly," Mileena scoffed.

"She's upset because I chose to sunbathe instead of spend time with her," Tanya remarked with a playful grin, before she slowly threw herself onto the couch behind them. "Now then, what is it that the Edenian Queen wishes to speak of?"

Sindel stepped back to take the available chair behind her, while Mileena threatened to sit on Tanya's legs until the woman moved them- only to drop them into the Empress's lap once she had sat down herself.

The two were some of Outworld's best killers- and they worked all too well on, and off, the battlefield.

Tanya was clear-headed and strategic, a homage to her pure Edenian lineage.

Mileena was brutal, and merciless... a homage to her Edenian lineage as well- with a small help from her Tarkatan blood.

When together, they produced an odd sort of pairing- but a charismatic and influential one as well.

"I know the two of you are busy most days, so I won't keep you of your time," Sindel started, as one hand brushed the wrinkles from the sheer cape that draped over one shoulder- a quick change due to Kitana's act before. "I came to inform you that I asked Lord Raiden to marry me."

...

She watched as the two of them stared at her in what could've been surprise, with neither of them saying much. It almost closely mirrored Kitana and Jade's reaction from before- minus the given concern.

"I know it is a sudden proposal, and no, answers have not yet been given, but it was made to solidify the pact between Earthrealm and Edenia," she continued. "While there are no immediate threats to Edenia as we speak, that is not to say that something will not come up. It is best to err on the side of precaution- and considering what has happened in the past, I'd much rather not repeat anything from it."

"It is a wise decision, yes, but while I am hardly a fan of Earthrealm... there are certainly better people to marry than the God of Thunder," Tanya remarked.

Sindel laughed lightly, not the least bit surprised by the woman's somewhat scathing remark. It was nothing she couldn't brush aside though. "Yes well, he and I decided that in this day and age, it would be best for us to have as many allies as we can. Considering past events, and an unknown future ahead, it is a sound plan- and no, it will not have any potential standing on Outworld. But as my daughter, and an Edenian royal bloodline, you must be informed well of Edenia's goals, and plans for the future. And should a marriage be conceived, you will be expected to participate in the ceremony as well."

"Lord Raiden is hardly a stellar choice," Mileena started, "but... that is not to say that he has not shown his colors in the past. He supported my rule over Kotal Kahn's, as have a few of the Earthrealm fighters. This hardly involves me, but if you feel that this is the right step to take, than I can only abide by what you want. If you wish to marry Lord Raiden, for the sake of Edenia, than so be it."

"That is good to hear," Sindel nodded. "I will keep you informed of his decision when he comes back to me with one- regardless of what his answer might be."

"Do tell me Queen, what do you wish for his answer to be?" Tanya pressed.

Sindel smiled once more. "I think it's quite obvious."


	4. Decisions, Decisions

"Well if it isn't my old friend, the electric Rai-Guy."

Raiden stopped for a brief moment at the voice that called out behind him, and immediately knew that he would regret doing so. He had been greatly hoping to avoid the man while he was here on the Special Forces base- although he supposed some things just couldn't be ignored. Or rather, some _people_. The movie star wasn't normally around much these days; if he wasn't seeing Cassie off on her missions, than he was back in the city working on... whatever it was that his career called for. And judging by the way both General Blade and Jax had spoken about it, it couldn't have been anything good.

In terms of quality, of course.

Giving out a brisk sigh, and knowing that the ongoing situation would be impossible to bypass, Raiden slowly turned around to face the approaching man. "Cage," he spoke, as he carefully crossed his arms over his chest, "I can only assume that you heard the news then."

"The old God of Thunder is thinking about getting married is what I heard through the grapevine," Johnny replied, before he pushed down on his sunglasses just before he continued. "And hooking it up with the Edenian Queen herself. Nice catch."

... This was precisely why he was looking to avoid the man.

But General Blade had asked for his opinion on an expedition that the OWIA was spearheading, and in order to make an honest choice, he needed to be here on base; he needed to listen in on the ongoing discussions between her and her Outworld crew. He had to admit he had been... rather distracted the entire time they were speaking, and even now he had a hard time remembering what the discussions were about.

He had more important things to worry about than whatever was going on in Outworld right now.

He had relinquished the realm to Mileena's control after all- in exchange for the Edenian orb that she held in her possession. It was one of the few things she had managed to keep away from Kotal Kahn's hands, which worked well into their favor. Kotal Kahn had spoken several times of merging the realms into one, which would no doubt lead to total anarchy and armageddon. But such a thing did not interest Mileena. As long as she got Outworld for herself, she did not bother with anyone or anything else.

Still... perhaps he should've been quicker with his escape from the SF base.

"Well, since you have knowledge of this ongoing topic, do you have something useful you wish to add to this discussion?" Raiden pressed. "I have many things to attend to today, and I cannot afford to waste my time."

"Yeah, do Gods like you get down and dirty?" Johnny questioned, making a rather crude gesture with both of his hands. "I mean, word on the street is that Fujin is pretty popular with the ladies, and the guys, but you-"

"I'll take that as a no," he sharply interrupted, hoping it would end the man's useless tangent- although it seemed to have the opposite effect; it only seemed to encourage his behavior.

"I'm just saying," the actor shrugged, "which hey, if you need any pointers, just let me know."

Raiden frowned at the suggestive remark, and figured it was best to just walk away from this conversation now before it got worse. But... part of him decided otherwise; part of him decided that it was worth fighting back at least this one time. "That's quite alright," he assured, "General Blade warned me that you would make an offer, and told me that your 'pointers' would be less than adequate."

Almost immediately, he saw the man's face twist in a mixed look of shock and surprise.

It was enough to catch a brief laugh on the tip of his tongue.

And enough for even the movie star to crack a grin.

"Ha. Ha." Johnny mocked, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm surprised you went to her first about this proposal idea- in fact, I'm a little hurt."

"Do not worry, she has already reprimanded me for it," Raiden replied. "I have already spoken with Jax about certain domestic information that I might wish to take into consideration when making my decision on this proposal. And as much as it pains me to ask, is there anything you might wish to add- anything useful? You get one chance with this, Cage."

The man took a deep breath and looked him square in the eyes. "Look, marriage ain't easy. Sometimes you put everything into it, and it doesn't work out, no matter what you do. It's a day by day kind of thing. You're gonna need to keep things up, you're gonna need to keep checking in on her, making sure she's just as happy, if not more happy than you are. So that, at least at the end of the day, the two of you have that in common. I'm sure you've gotten better advice from Jax- I mean, that man clearly knows how to keep a woman happy; hell, he's the only guy I know who can keep Sonya happy for more then ten minutes. But back on track, all I can say is that, you're going to have your good and bad days, and the bad ones are really gonna fuck with you. So just... give it everything every chance you get."

Raiden felt himself taken back by the rather genuine answer.

He had been hesitant to get the man's opinion on the matter- especially considering how his own married had ended. And considering how General Blade refused to speak about it.

"... I'm surprised, Cage, that was rather-"

"And always make sure that she's satisfied in the bedroom- that's a big one, a lot of people skip over that one-"

"And now I've already wasted my breath speaking here," Raiden finished. "Thank you for your input, I will put it into consideration... maybe."

The man lightly socked him on the arm and laughed. "Look, my man, my fly guy, you just let me know what that lucky lady says, alright?"

Raiden didn't feel the need to correct the man.

After all, Sindel already knew her answer.

It was his that was still needed.

"... Of course."

* * *

Raiden wouldn't admit that, after his talk with Cage, he purposely wasted more time at the Special Forces base. He spoke once more with Jax, and even with Kenshi- although the blind swordsman had little to offer him in terms of advice; he did offer his best wishes though.

He eventually returned to the Sky Temple just before the sun fell back behind the horizon.

It felt as though he had plenty of advice and wisdom to work off of, to incorporate into his decision. He wanted to make one soon- after all, he didn't wish to keep Queen Sindel waiting. Although the royalty had ultimately given him no deadline for an answer, it wasn't an excuse for him to keep stringing her along. She deserved to know where she stood with him as soon as reasonably possible.

It took him some time to find a quiet place to settle and gather his thoughts.

Despite repeated attempts at finding solitude, Bo' Rai Cho insisted on following him around, asking many, many questions- far too many for just one person to ask. Raiden simply waited for the man to pass out from drinking first, as he knew the man would, before he finally relocated to the rooftops of one of the temples. It was quiet, and out of the sight of the many, which was... good enough.

"Still thinking the proposal over, I presume?"

Raiden stilled at the voice, somehow both surprised, and not surprised by its sudden appearance. Sighing, he slowly turned and watched as Fujin made his way towards him- although the Wind God stopped when Raiden was fully facing him. He hadn't even heard Fujin's initial approach, which was... a given, he supposed. The man controlled the wind, and could levitate himself enough to avoid footsteps whenever he wished.

"Perhaps I should've kept my mouth shut," Fujin remarked, "would've given you a righteous kick right over the edge."

His tone was still stiff- no doubt a lingering effect from their argument the day before.

It was the main reason Raiden had been reluctant to return to the Sky Temple in the first place.

The two of them had yet to settle their differences over the matter, which... was hardly much of an issue now. It had hardly been much of an argument to begin with, but emotions had been high and it had been a less than suitable situation. Of course, it was much easier to look back on it now and see that it was nothing more than a petty trade of words. In the moment, it had felt different.

"Dare I ask what your answer might be?"

Fujin's words came out strung with reluctance, which was easy to read by the way he stiffly crossed his arms.

The Wind God wanted an answer as much as anyone here did.

Himself included.

Raiden gave a brief sigh before he decided to speak. "I was brash with you the other day," he started. "You were only doing what you thought was right... and after speaking with several of our allies, I've come to realize that you were right. I'm sorry for disregarding you. You were well within your right to ask, and what you had to say was quite important to take into account."

It was a little difficult to ignore what might've been a look of surprise on his younger brother.

Their arguments weren't often long-lived, mostly due in part to the atmospheric effects they could cause on the surrounding environment. And General Blade was always quick to get on their case about it. Still, their indifferences could be dragged out for days at a time- and over things much less than this.

"Thank you," Fujin started. "I know you were just under a lot of stress, and needed some time to yourself, and... I pushed a little too much when I shouldn't have. I have my own apologies to make. I'm just glad you've taken some time to step back and look at this situation from a different perspective."

The Wind God was always quicker to forgive than he was.

More often than not, Fujin would dissipate arguments much quicker if they originated from his side.

Raiden supposed that it made him seem far more stubborn- which he was. But he also knew that he couldn't continue on with this decision without his brother's input, and without his approval either. They were each other's only source of family...

"Tell me then, what did our friends have to say about this ordeal?" Fujin pressed; his tone lighter, and more approachable now.

"Many of them have agreed that, from a diplomatic standpoint, it is secure and just. Edenia is a well-established ally that we wish to protect, and... despite our previous grievances with Outworld, it is a way to open the doors, so to say, to a better standing with them as well," Raiden spoke. "I have my own concerns with Outworld, but Master Bo' Rai Cho is insistent that we help where we can with the realm."

"It has seen better days, but hope is not lost," Fujin assured. "What of your personal standing with this?"

He knew the question would be coming up. "It is... worth the shot."

It was a sheltered, close-to-the-chest sort of answer, but it seemed to appeal to the Wind God enough to leave it as it was.

"Have you had the chance to speak to Lui Kang about this?"

Raiden frowned at the spoken name, and tried not to give any other outwardly reactions to it. "No. Unfortunately... we have yet to speak."

Or rather, more correctly, Lui Kang still refused to speak to him.

And it wasn't like Raiden could blame the man; after all, he... he was the cause for Lui Kang's death, and his eventual turn into a Revenant. His murder had weighed heavily on his conscious for decades since. It was an accident that he would certainly never live down, or forget about. Much like his argument with Fujin, it was easy to look back on the ordeal now and realize just how at fault he was for the whole matter- how at fault he was for allowing everyone to die. But in that moment, twenty-five years in the past, he thought he was in the right; he got so wound up in his emotions, and the ongoing situation- and the two of them yelling at one another didn't help.

He lost control of his anger, his energy...

It was why he was so insistent on how he made his decisions now. No matter how much annoyance it might bring to General Blade, or even to Fujin, he would not make such incorrect decisions again.

Fujin bore a look of concern, no doubt surprised, and maybe hurt, to learn that he and Lui Kang's close relationship was non-existent now. But the man did his best to tuck the look away, trying to ease it back behind a force smile. "I'm sure... I'm sure Lui Kang will come around, just give him time," even his tone was hesitant and reluctant to admit to much else but false hope. "What about Kung Lao? Did he have anything to offer, or perhaps valuable input?"

Kung Lao was much like Fujin, easy to forgive and forget when necessary.

And even if this situation did not follow that logic, he put it behind him regardless. As he had once stated before, he spent twenty-five years reliving the past in the fires of the Netherrealm; he was ready to look to the future for once, no matter how hard it might be.

"His only offer of words was that Queen Sindel is incredibly strong, and that it is easy to see where Princess Kitana got her looks from," Raiden repeated.

"Lao, why?"

He chuckled lightly at Fujin's look of exasperation- glad that at least he and Kung Lao's relationship had not changed. "Regardless, many of our allies offered great words of advice, quite enough to take into consideration," Raiden started. "Their words coupled with my own thoughts on the matter have... allowed me to evaluate what I want from this arrangement as well."

"Which is?" Fujin pressed.

"As you know well, the relationship Queen Sindel and I have with one another has been a long, and sometimes dark one; we've seen each other through many grievances, and tragedies. Life has not always been kind to her, and... neither have I at some points- and yet, she still wishes to see this proposal though. I know she sees Edenia in this; she sees safety for her people, and for her daughters. And somewhere in all of it, she sees me too," he spoke. "And I won't try to deny that I see her too."

"You and Sindel share many, many secrets, my brother," Fujin remarked, only to add with a grin, "- although some not as secretive as others."

Raiden stilled at the remark, and watched as the motion drew a quick laugh from his brother. "Yes well... different times, Fujin."

"You still have not answered my question," he reminded. "What is it that you wish to see in this?"

"... I wish to see her happy."

* * *

Raiden spent the rest of the night with Fujin on the rooftops, reminiscing about old times and questioning things about the future. It was a way to pass the time until he would leave for Edenia. He had made his choice and... there was no sense in elongating the process; he would not make her wait any longer than necessary.

Although that wasn't to say that Fujin didn't have to give him a pep talk, or two when the time to depart finally came.

The assurances helped, but the threat of Fujin going to Edenia to give his answer to the Queen himself was enough to finally push him over.

And Raiden would be lying if he said that he wasn't nervous when he finally arrived in Edenia. He would be lying if he said that he didn't have to take extra precautions in controlling his fluctuating energy. The Edenian atmosphere was forgiving and light; it would be all too easy for him to have lightning spark from his fingertips- especially at an inconvenient time.

... He would be lying if he said that his nerves didn't get worse as he slowly made his way through the Edenian palace- knowing full and well that the Edenian Queen was aware of his arrival already.

He wondered if she was as nervous as he was.

"Oh, Lord Raiden, we weren't anticipating your arrival today."

He paused briefly at the words, and watched as Kitana and Jade stepped out from one of the adjacent corridors and crossed paths with him; it was either by coincidence, or done so on purpose. "I have urgent business that I must discuss with your mother," he answered- although he was certain that they already knew what it was.

And such claim was confirmed by the brief look the two shot one another.

"Of course," Kitana nodded, offering a brief smile. "She is in the sun room right now, but I will inform her of your arrival."

"Thank you."

Raiden watched as the two went on ahead, moving at a quicker than normal pace. As much as he tried to avoid it, he couldn't help but to think what they might've thought about the whole proposal ordeal. Sindel would've informed both Kitana and Jade about it, and would've no doubt talked in length about the entire process. And considering that neither of them met him with a scornful look, it told him that at the very least... they didn't hate the idea.

Eventually reaching the sun room, he took a deep breath, straightened himself out, and made his way through the partially open doorway; which had, no doubt, been left open in anticipation for his arrival. A sun room was a staple in most Edenian houses due to the quiet nature of it; it was usually one long, narrow room connected to an open balcony, which allowed for the sun to bleed in and fill every corner. It was a private place to sunbathe, and was often furnished with several couches and chairs to relax in; one could spend hours at a time in one, and not turn a single shade of red.

Not to mention, Edenia was prone to storms and cloudy days, so people tried to enjoy the sun as much as they could when it was available.

"Lord Raiden," Sindel greeted, as she slowly pushed herself up from her reclining couch. A cloak of sheer lace draped and folded across her elegant body with her movements, although keeping what it needed to cover, covered. It accented her natural body and age, bringing out the long years of experience that turned her into the picture of a would be Edenian Goddess. And the smile that adorned her darkly-painted lips... it was hard to describe- impossible even. "It's good to see you again- especially so soon," she mused.

He found himself having to remember to breathe.

"As it is to see you," Raiden spoke with a nod, as he made the slow walk over to her- feeling just the slightest hint of electricity on his fingertips. "I apologize for making you wait, and... I will not waste any more time regarding your proposal."

"Excellent. What is your answer?"


	5. Long Awaited Answer

**A/N: Do you ever just build up a chapter in your mind, but for the life of you, you just can't get it written down properly? That's exactly what happened here. So sorry for the delay.**

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"I accept your proposal."

It sounded like the words came from his lips so easily, so confidently- even if he felt a little short on both on the inside. A perk to having a smooth, calming voice, he supposed; it made it easy to project.

But he had made his decision, and there was no doubt in his mind now that he had made the right one. And not just for the sake of Earthrealm, and Edenia, but... for the two of them as well.

After all, he had once only imagined a scenario like this one so many centuries before.

Only the words of acceptance came from her lips, not his.

Not that it made any difference now though, considering that the end result would still be the same.

They would still be happy- and that was all that mattered now.

And yet, the Edenian Queen responded to his answer with a look of surprise instead.

It cultivated a storm of thoughts inside of him.

She had to have been anticipating a positive answer from him- she had to have known that he would say yes... right? Perhaps he had made her wait too long, stretched out the stressful ordeal far more than her patience could handle. No, that couldn't have been it though. For as long as he had known her, years collected in the thousands, she had never had an issue with her patience running thin; or at least, it had never been an issue with him.

Unless something was of the upmost urgency, she tucked the matter away and let it wait on the sidelines while she continued on with her own business. Everyone always came back to her with an answer, always on their own accord- always when the proper amount of time had been taken.

Just as he had done.

...

But Raiden realized his mistake the moment he caught the corners of her lips twitching with a smile- when he caught the slow breath that escaped her, as though having been held for quite some time.

And he realized what he had taken and assumed to be a look of surprise, a look of shock... was actually a look made in relief. And that was a feeling that he could easily share as he felt his own breath quickly escape him just the same.

He wondered if they had both been holding it in the moment he had stepped foot in Edenia.

Because now that his answer was off of his chest, and out in the open, now they could both move forward with this. And he would be reluctant, but truthful, to admit that the future prospect of it was a rather terrifying thought that circulated in the back of his head. Giving a yes, or no answer now seemed to be the simplest part of this ordeal- because now came the rest of it.

And he hadn't exactly let himself think past just giving an answer.

Raiden would be the first to admit that he was thoroughly unprepared now.

Sindel smiled at him, warm and sweet to the eyes, before she pushed herself to her feet; one hand smoothing out the folds of her sheer attire. Standing up as she did, the loose material of her cloak flowed down around her like an astral aura that hovered over her graceful, aged form; an aura that was barely clenched with a thin belt around her waist. The thick folds in the thin fabric covered enough to avoid revealing too much, although nothing short of what Edenia was known for in terms of decency.

But then again, the faint descendants of Gods never had anything to hide.

"I am glad to hear that, Lord Raiden," she spoke, never minding to readjust the way the cloak partly slid from her shoulders. "You and I will do good for each other, and for our respective realms."

"Of course we will," he nodded- feeling that familiar sense of electricity stir up along his arms as he watched her step towards him. Even now, after all these years, he had to count the seconds and remember to breathe- still in awestruck at her beauty, and at the way she carried herself.

Here she was, the Edenian Queen, the pinnacle of strength and loyalty in Edenia; the embodiment of royalty, of elegance- of what every Edenian strived to be. What every person, no matter the realm, strived to be like. And she would soon stand at his side, as his wife.

What did he ever do to deserve her?

To deserve this kind of privilege?

"Now then, should I be informed of... what kind of wedding customs we'll be needed to adhere to?" Raiden questioned- forcing the words out simply so he remembered where his voice was, and remembered how to use it.

A quiet laugh escaped the Queen as she reached one hand forward to take his own- making a show of how their fingers interlaced. And he was a little surprised that his build-up of energy didn't lightly shock her in some way at the touch.

"You will be marrying the Edenian Queen, so we will have to follow the traditional Edenian wedding customs- there will be no arguing on that," Sindel answered; and she continued on when the questions began to form on his lips. "As for any questions that might follow, all I will say is that 'talk too soon about the wedding, and you spoil the engagement.'"

Always the quick one.

"Is that so?" he spoke, not bothering to fight the smile that toyed on his lips at her remark.

"Let's just focus on the moment while we have it, while it is here," she insisted, as she pulled his hand to her lips and kissed softly at his knuckles. Her smile was still evident with the gesture- and it was the kind of smile that spread warmth into her eyes, the kind that stirred a storm inside of him; that stirred lightning and thunder under his skin and spread it across his body in waves. "I'm glad you said yes, Lord Raiden."

It took a moment for him to find his breath- and he hoped it wasn't as noticeable as it felt.

"Were you worried?" Raiden asked, moving to take her free hand with his own, before he gently locked their fingers together once more.

Something about his question caused her to answer him with a soft laugh- heavenly in its own right. "I sprang a martial proposal on the Thunder God of Earthrealm; yes, you could say that I was a _little_ worried," Sindel teased. Her hands gently tugged his own downward, before she pulled them around her- using his arms to pull herself in against his chest.

The gesture quickened the heart underneath his ribs, and Raiden felt himself focus solely on the tight embrace of her fingers between his own; on the way his hands were pressed against her lower back. For a brief second, he swore he could almost hear, almost feel their hearts beating in sync with one another. And hers was so strong, so confident- a lion's heart that had grown to reflect herself in it.

He felt her rest her head against his shoulder, felt her warm breath as it skirted across his neck.

"I was afraid that neither of us were in the position to accept such a proposition- afraid that it was a little too soon, a little too quick for us," she continued. "Maybe even afraid that neither of us could handle saying yes, but... neither of us could handle being told no either." she remained quiet for a still moment, before a quiet chuckle left her. "I suppose you could say that I also put the relations between Earthrealm and Edenia at risk. So there was a lot at stake here- much of which I didn't necessarily account for."

Raiden looked down to where the Edenian Queen had tucked herself in against him.

He could feel how the sun had warmed her skin, allowing her to share some of its heat with him.

He could feel the subtle squeeze of her fingers against his own, feeling the way she curled them in against her palms- tightly holding onto him.

... And he was reminded of all those times before where they used to find themselves caught like this.

Back when every visit into Outworld had to be taken under the cloak of night, or under false pretensions to the Emperor. Back when Edenia was still freshly gone, and Outworld was marred by the old Edenian structures that had ripped through it during the merging of the two realms. Like the fingers of Gods trying to fight rip their way out through the ribs of Outworld.

Back when he used to be afraid to let her go- afraid that the moment he turned his back, the moment he left, she might not be there to greet him again. When just the thought of stepping into Outworld caused him to lock up with fear, caused him to face the reality that their previous visit might've been their last one. Or that the visit he was embarking on now would be the final time he ever saw her again.

Each visit was treated like the last- spilling and sharing the same words over and over again.

All of those vital, yet agonizing fears came rolling back to him.

And even though they were nothing more than nightmares, nothing more than haunted relics from the past- they still crawled under his skin. They lead him to pull her in closer, to squeeze her hands in assurance that she existed, that she was still alive and well.

And more importantly, that she was with him again.

"We played a very dangerous game, you and I," Raiden spoke.

"Indeed we did- but we played it very well," she replied- her tone giving hints that she was going through the same memories as he was. But then she pulled away from him, just enough to look up and meet his white eyes with her own; all void of color, but filled to the brim with everything they needed to see from each other. She offered another smile, and slowly released his hands as she moved to cup her own against his jaw. And Raiden thought he might pass out a little at her beauty, at her elegance. "We should celebrate such a positive engagement- and to such a fair ending to this game of ours."

A game that had spanned centuries, that had lasted longer than most people lived.

There had been countless decades between them filled with nothing but grief and torment.

He had suffered the loss of her life twice- once by her own hand to protect Earthrealm, and the other by Nightwolf... also to protect Earthrealm. And even though she had been possessed, been resurrected that second time, it didn't soften the blow of her death in the slightest. It had still hurt, it had still burned agony inside of him.

But it was behind them now.

All of it was gone, it was over with, and right here, right now, was the start of something new for them.

Something they both deserved.

"Dare I ask if there is an Edenian tradition of doing so?" he questioned, mostly in jest.

"You celebrate by kissing the Edenian Queen."

The answer came smooth, and articulate off of her tongue- as though she had been waiting hours to say it. And the thought of it stirred like a hurricane inside of him- stirred up memories and dreams of how she had once kissed, of how she had once tasted.

"I have a feeling you just created that custom," Raiden spoke.

"You asked, and I simply answered," Sindel replied, as she traced circles against his cheeks with her thumbs. "It is a simple request from the Edenian Queen- as well as your future wife, Lord Raiden, dare I remind you of that."

Even she seemed content with combining the two titles.

And he wouldn't deny that such a realization left him breathless for a few short seconds; that it left him with a sense of pride, a sense of joy that cultivated in his chest. That it reminded him of the reality that was sitting right here in front of him.

Raiden followed her lead, and leaned down to greet her- closing the short amount of space between them, and bringing his lips to hers. He felt her fingers curl lightly against his jaw in anticipation for it, before she held him to her. Before she pulled him in close, and welcomed him with the hint of raspberry that coated her lips.

It was subtle and sweet.

A hint of laughter on his tongue.

And a touch of electricity on hers.

It felt like it had been literal centuries since they had last been given an opportunity like this- since they had last been allowed such physical endearments. Of course, not that this was all that different from the times before.

They were still behind a closed door after all.

But there was relief in knowing that people were aware of them, aware of their relationship, and that there was no fear to be taken in being exposed as such. There was no reason to hide from anyone anymore- no reason to be afraid that someone would discover them. If anything, it was only a mild annoyance given the jests and teases that would be made at their expense. Mainly by Fujin, or Cage, but those could be taken with a grain of salt.

"I'm already in love with you," she whispered, barely pushing the words between their lips.

"I was hoping you might be."

Despite everything that had happened to her, here she was ready to continue forward with a new chapter in her endless life. Despite the hell she had been trapped in before, despite the false marriage she had been sealed into, she still willingly wished to marry him; the feeling to do so great enough that she had proposed to him first. It was a testament to her ability to recover and continue forward- for the good of her people, and for the good of herself for once.

How could he possibly think of ever letting her go again?

"Should we go ahead and inform our people of this decision?" Raiden questioned, as his hands moved to brush through her hair- feeling the silk-like strands almost moving on their own around his fingers.

Sindel draped her arms around his neck and leaned up enough to press her forehead to his- her lips still curled in a smile. "While I am certain that the people of Edenia would like an official statement regarding the matter... I don't want to share you just yet," she spoke, drawing him into one more slow kiss. "You are a God, Raiden- no one will believe that I was the one who made you weak."

"You have always made me weak," he replied, "from the moment we first crossed paths."

A quiet chuckle escaped her. "And now we are strong, and the world is different, and new. And things are finally how they should've been so long ago."

Raiden shivered at the feeling of vulnerability that washed over him.

She spoke the hard truth in her words.

This was how it should've been for all of those lost decades- lost centuries.

But that past was coming to an end; another chapter closed.

"... Tell me, what are these Edenian wedding traditions of yours?" Raiden questioned once more, drawing a curious look from her- as though she hadn't already shot that question down before. "And is there any way possible to marry you right now?"

Sindel gave a soft laugh before she pulled him into another kiss- still smiling and laughing against his lips. "A traditional Edenian wedding lasts five days- at minimum," she answered. "And the official ceremony itself doesn't occur until the second ay. So the amount of planning that is required will take some time, and quite a bit of effort; we couldn't rush it even if we wanted to." she paused as an amused look came over her. "However, perhaps a small exception could be made for you and I."

Despite her rather open-ended answer, his mind seemed to hook and focus on just one piece of information she had given away.

And to say that it caught him by surprise was a bit of an understatement.

"Five days?" he repeated.

He had been to many weddings throughout the centuries- many from different realms, many of different traditions. He had even been to some more notable ones within just the past few decades.

He was there when Johnny and Sonya had wed- which had been an experience in its own right. The reception had lasted well throughout the night and into the early morning, and involved a plethora of things that he'd much rather avoid in the future; namely an abundance of fireworks, and paparazzi. And even the days following the wedding, after it was over and done with, it seemed like every headline all over Earthrealm continued to talk about it. Every news program continued to flash their wedding photo every hour, on the hour.

And on the opposite end of the wedding spectrum, he had witnessed Jackson's and Vera's private ceremony. There were only a handful of people present- maybe less than ten in total, if that much. It was quiet, quaint, and all the more fitting for the two of them. It lasted a few hours at best, and then that was the end of it.

Those were just two of the countless engagements, countless weddings that he knew of- and the traditions behind them were fairly simple. While Earthrealm's traditions varied based on location, most of them were simpler than the extravagant hunt and dance that Outworld weddings required. Although they weren't quite as simple as the tying of the knot ceremonies in Orderrealm, which consisted of just signing two names to a piece of paper.

But five days?

"Afraid you'll get second thoughts in that amount of time?" Sindel teased, clearly picking up on his elongated silence.

"What? No, no, I just- it was unexpected, that's all," Raiden assured in a rushed tone. "Is there a reason-"

"Ah, ah, I said we weren't going to discuss the wedding," she interrupted, brushing a soft kiss against his lips to stop him. "I assure you it is by tradition, and has always been done this way. But that is all that I will say of it for now. We can speak of it tomorrow if you still wish to."

It would probably be for the best if he waited- to let the information settle, and work out the questions he needed to ask; as well as prepare himself for whatever answers might be given in response.

He had been to her and Jared's wedding so many centuries before, but he couldn't recall it lasting for so long. Perhaps he had departed early, or perhaps his memory wasn't serving him as well as it used to.

"I suppose I will wait then," he agreed.

"Normally it would be advised to start planning as soon as the engagement was made, but... I see no reason to hurry," Sindel continued. "We have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves- although I do share your eagerness regarding the matter."

It was a relief to hear that, to hear that she shared the same sentiments that he did.

For a moment, he was afraid that he had seemed too forward, too nervous about the ordeal- as though wishing to rush through and get it over with for all the wrong reasons. Which wasn't the case at all.

He simply wanted her as his wife, but apparently he was just a little too eager- more so than the Edenian customs would permit him to be. And he wouldn't dare ask her, as the Edenian Queen, to adjust the traditions for them.

"Do tell then, what was this exception you mentioned before?" Raiden questioned, remembering her words from before as he circled them back into their conversation. She seemed fully set on following the traditional customs, the five days worth of a wedding, and reception. An exception to all of that hardly seemed feasible- even by her reign.

But Sindel said nothing and only kissed him in response- as though offering that as her answer instead.

And offering the sound of her clenched belt hitting the floor as another.

It felt like he hardly had time to process it all before her sheer robe suddenly felt loose in his hands. Before it began to slip further and further down her body- evading his grasp until it pooled around her feet.

She answered him with a kiss, and the feeling of his own uniform coming apart in her hands.


	6. Anticipated Storms

**A/N: Let me just say beforehand that in case anyone was worried, and/or wondering, I can assure you that I did not feel pressured to write this chapter. I know a lot of you in the reviews were asking for it (which, with how the previous chapter ended, I had it coming lol), but rest assured, the opportunity _was_ kind of too good to pass up. I actually found it very entertaining with how quickly everyone seemed to jump on the same bandwagon. ****I had a mature scene like this planned for later in the story- _and still do_ \- so I had absolutely no qualms about putting one here too.**

 **Hopefully it was worth the (very long) wait.**

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"You should keep your hair down like this more often."

Her words brushed brisk and soft against his jaw as her fingers ran themselves through his white locks- thick and loose in her hands. She had done little to hide her eagerness when she had pulled his fitted hood off to reveal his hair. In fact, it was one of the first things she had gone for when she dismantled his uniform by hand; the loose materials had pooled around their feet until the small pile had been haphazardly kicked aside.

Even now, Sindel didn't hide her amusement in tangling her fingers in his hair, in taking handfuls of it at a time as she let each lock roll through her fingers. It had been centuries since she had last gotten the opportunity to do so, and even now it was much longer than it had been before. White, slightly curled strands reached well below his shoulders now, giving her plenty to play with.

She knew Raiden very rarely let it show, let alone let it down, especially in public. He had remarked once before, well before everything had gone to Outworld, that it was more convenient as such; it looked more regal, more professional that way. And as a new God to Earthrealm, he had felt the need to maintain an appearance.

And unlike his brother, Raiden had never been a fan of the braided look- then again, such a style was all the more suiting for the Wind God.

Fujin had always been quite the entertainer with his long, white braid whipping around with every open, delicate display of his power.

"Perhaps for the wedding?"

It wasn't so much a question, but rather a hopeful aspiration that played on the tip of her tongue.

Sindel felt his palms roll against her ribs before Raiden's hands slowly circled around to her back. Fingers loosely curled against the dip of her spine, subtly tracing it, and leading her to lean back into the touch- encouraging every little stroke of his fingertips against her still warm skin. It had been a long, long time since they last had a moment like this; one that was so calm and relaxing with no sense of rush.

And there was no sense in rushing this. They deserved to make it last, to make it slow.

They had earned, very well _deserved_ , to take this slow, and properly remember what it was like.

To remember more than memories of hushed words behind locked doors, of shaking hands desperate to be quick and quiet in their motives. Of lips pressed tight in an attempt to muffle any unfortunate sounds that might've escaped the nervous tightness of their throats. But sometimes a sound did come free. Sometimes it was a whispered name, or an apology; a brief word of encouragement, or a subtle reminder.

"If that is what the Queen wishes," Raiden spoke, as she circled her hands over his shoulders, before she gently skirted her fingers down along his biceps, tense underneath her. She felt the way his skin seemed to shiver slightly at the touch, threatening to catch spark against her caresses.

Sindel leaned in and brushed her lips against his neck, taking in the quickness of his pulse, before she moved to the curve of his throat. It was easy to feel the sudden inhale he took at the kiss, gently encouraging her to trail slowly downward into the soft dip above his collarbones. She planted a firmer kiss against his skin, making sure he felt the soft impression of the smile that lingered on her lips.

"If that is what my _wife_ wishes."

A soft laugh escaped her at his subtle correction, before she pulled back- lips curled into another easy smile now. "There is no date, no plans, and yet you're already treating me too well," Sindel teased, as she moved her palms to his chest now. She swore she could almost feel the vibrations of a storm brewing on the other side, stirring warm and strong inside of his ribs.

Raiden smiled back, and went easy into the next embrace that she brought to his lips.

"I can't treat you well enough."

A quiet hum sounded off behind her lips as her hands moved to seek out his own, wrapping around them once more. "Edenia will love you," she whispered, as she pulled his hands around her and brought them to her abdomen- desperate for a little more physical embrace than what he was giving her. She could understand his potential nerves, his potential hesitation; neither of them were used to being so open like this. But it didn't take long before his hands began to move on their own. "Just as I will."

Raiden's palms brushed up against her abdomen, and rolled across her body once more, before he moved one hand to cup the side of her jaw- giving her an anchor as she kissed him again. Allowing him to feel the stammered breath that escaped her as he cupped his other hand against her breast. His skin was cool against her own, and she felt herself almost melt into the touch, already hungry for more. Sindel stood up on her toes at the gentle touch, and pressed herself against him, against his hand, encouraging him to gather his nerves once more.

Her nails caressed his skin as she curled them against his chest, her palms pressed firm against him for support. Every bit of him was intoxicating- lingering easy and sweet on the tongue and skin. Every kiss seemed to spark a small storm on his lips, creating lightning on his tongue and in his mouth; a storm that gathered and spread to her as well.

She brought her teeth to his lower lip, nipping lightly as she felt the flat of his thumb graze across her nipple. A simple, subtle stroke, but it was enough to send a chill down her spine.

"Come now," Sindel started, as one hand moved to touch at his own, before her fingers laid claim over his. She curled them in against his and squeezed- closing his hand against her breast. She felt Raiden follow her guidance all too easily, as her other hand drifted up to his neck; her fingernails tickling at his skin. "You can be a little more forward than that."

And he had been in the past, but the cooling breeze that blew its way across the sunroom seemed to stop him for a moment. "It's a little opened out here, is it not?" Raiden noted, although he made no motion to retract himself from her. "A scandal in the making given your position in Edenia."

"I hardly believe that we will find issue with that," she assured. "Unless, of course, you draw issue with it."

She could almost see the thoughts going on through his head, and she was almost certain that the rationale part of him was screaming that _yes_ , there were issues to be taken here. Namely privacy and boundary issues. Edenia was still new, _they_ were still new. There would be a better time and place for this- although she herself hardly thought so.

But she knew how tired he had been before, with them always having to be behind locked doors and committed to secrecy.

Always hiding, and covering their trail.

They were both free now though, and finally free to express themselves as a collective- as a pair. As husband and wife, skipping entirely over being courters and lovers- consorts even.

"No," Raiden answered simply- much to her amusement.

"That is good to hear, my Lord," she whispered, catching his lips as he moved in to kiss her this time.

He lingered briefly, teasing her, before he dropped his lips to take to her neck instead- and Sindel willingly tilted her head to give him space. His hands abandoned their former places and wrapped around her ribs as he pulled her in and up against him. She smiled at the warm press of their bodies, at the way her hips brushed against his own, and how she was able to rest her head on his shoulder. Fingers curled against his chest once again as he bore heavy embraces into the curve of her neck, and she pushed up against him- eager for more.

She wanted him to bite her, to kiss and tend to her skin, to suckle a light bruise against it- _anything_.

But she knew he wouldn't.

All those times before, he was never allowed to leave behind any markings, or anything of the sort on her skin in his wake; he was reduced to a battered storm with no aftermath. It had been dangerous enough for them to sneak off behind the Emperor's back as often as they did. But it would've been even more so if there had been even the smallest of evidence to imply his presence on her. The smallest of bruises, or even a hint of a rough kiss would've had her locked away, or killed even- which was a fate she often pressed for.

But she knew he wouldn't dream of putting her at risk at the cost of his own negligence, no matter the price of temptation.

And even if the opportunity to do so, with no fear or risks attached, was present to him now... He still wouldn't take it.

Sindel shivered slightly as he pressed his lips into the opening curve of her collarbone, exposing a minor weakness to the area. Edenians were long lost children of Goddesses, molded and perfected by holy blood; there were no other beings like them. And as she felt him dip into the hollow nape of her neck, she knew he found her skin and body to be a blessing; it was like a baptism to touch, and taste it.

And he wouldn't ruin the sanctuary that she provided.

It was a _noble_ act.

One she would both reluctantly, and willingly break in due time.

Sindel let him settle against her neck, before her hands sought his out once more- before she pulled away from him, feeling the lingering chill on her skin without his presence. Stepping backwards, careful and counting, she tugged on Raiden's hands and pulled him along with her. And she watched as he followed, stumbling just slightly with that first step, before he quickly kept in pace with her. She drew him in, kissing him between every other step, tempting him with a reason to keep following.

It wasn't until she felt the heat of the sun against her skin once more did she stop; the railing to the balcony behind her just barely pressed against her back. The weather in Edenia was clear, and sunny for once- it would be a shame to waste even a minute of it. And while public displays of affection, no matter the degree, had a tendency of being taboo in other realms... It was all the more welcomed in Edenia. Under controlled circumstances of course.

She wasn't the least bit bothered by the thought of being on display.

And considering that Raiden had yet to pull away, or object, it would seem the idea wasn't bothering him either.

Sindel's hands moved to his broad shoulders once more, curling and digging against his skin, before they moved in time with her legs. Hands pushed down on him, lifting herself up as her legs moved to wrap around his waist; heels tucked against his lower back for extra support. It was fluid, and easy, as though no time had passed at all since the last she had done so- as though all the planets, and all the realms had aligned themselves perfectly for this moment.

She felt the heat of his hands as they wrapped around her waist, although they were hardly needed for support.

She could easily maintain her position against him without his inference, or help.

"Perhaps we haven't aged as poorly as we think," Sindel whispered in jest; her fingers once more playing in his hair.

Raiden gave a soft laugh at the words; his warm breath pooling into the cradle of her neck. "You never could," he replied- _insisted_. "Give me a few more decades however, and it might be a different story."

Her hands moved to the railing behind her, allowing her to lean back with them- opening herself to him, and giving him the opportunity to free his hands if he wished to. Although she wasn't surprised when he chose not to. "My Lord Raiden," she mused, her fingers brushing the curve of his jaw for a brief second, "you will always age like a fine storm to me."

Raiden leaned in close to her, tempting her, before his lips found the skin at her jaw instead. She wouldn't lie, the move put her off a bit, but she knew a good game when it was being played. And the warmth of his mouth at her neck, at her throat, told her that he had a better idea at the moment. He took his time as he skirted down across her collarbones and sternum, touching lips and brushing tongue against her warming skin; the sun shining perfectly down across her body. Sindel held still underneath him, maintaining a slow, careful breathing pattern as she fell into his motions- as she took in the subtle pampering she had been denied for so long.

The gentle kisses, light and brushing against her skin reminded her of pleasantries, of a good future.

Of a good husband.

Pressing his lips between her breasts, Raiden breathed her in slowly before his warm breath pooled against her once more- this time enticing a shiver to run up along her spine. The heat of his breath combined with the growing heat of the sun was causing her skin to tingle slightly, causing it to tighten with every kiss. Even the occasional press of his fingertips against her hips was enough to cause her to squirm slightly in his touch.

Sindel felt his lips trail down to the center of her ribs, and she carefully eased herself down onto her elbows- partly pushing her hips forward against his own. He pulled up on her waist, allowing her legs to climb to his sides as he moved with greater ease down to her abdomen. One hand curled further up against her back, while the other moved to the back of her hips for support; a nice gesture, but once more, hardly needed.

He kissed her with every breath that had her stomach moving against his lips, lulling her into the slow rhythm of his embraces.

Such a tender scene to witness; one that many might've taken for granted, but she didn't foresee herself growing tired of it.

She felt his fingers curled against her skin, felt the slight tickle of his hair against her stomach and hips every time he moved; she felt his warm breath, warm lips- felt the way his hand gradually moved to rub circles against the curve of her spine.

It was hard to resist the urge as Sindel let her head fall back and closed her eyes, allowing herself to focus on nothing but him. Allowing herself to mildly bask in the heat of the sun as Raiden moved back up to her ribs, hands circling against her sides now.

Raiden pressed a slow kiss between her breasts once again, nipping lightly this time- enough so to garner her attention as she looked back to him.

And it was difficult to not notice the way he looked at her, to feel the way it stirred storms inside of her as well. Difficult to not realize how it brought attention to how badly she needed this, needed him. Brought attention to the familiar ache of her own body, coiled as heat in her stomach and thighs- knotting and winding on top of itself. It ached in her fingertips as she grabbed at his shoulders once again- as she wrapped herself back around him.

And he pulled her in tight, pulled her back against his lips and took her quick.

Sindel felt his warm tongue spill between her lips and took him in return, stealing heat and breath with the kiss. It only boiled further into her belly, stirring up scenes and memories of stolen kisses- never quite like this one though.

Her back touched the silk of one of the lounging couches before she even realized he had even been moving underneath her. She felt the weight of his body follow her, felt his hands at her jaw for only a moment- drawing in one more sweep of her mouth before he pulled away. One hand brushed against the flat of her sternum, easing her back against the raised portion of the couch as he dipped down to her ribs once more. Quick, and subtle as he kissed at her abdomen, and hips, moving his body further down along hers; hands stumbling as they grabbed at her thighs, and pulled them apart. She didn't hesitate as she drew her legs towards her, before she hooked them over his shoulders- allowing him to nestle more comfortably between them.

It was the hard press of his lips against the inside of her right thigh that stilled the turning room around her. The slight pull of her skin underneath his touch, the squirming sensation had her biting back a quick laugh- having it come out as a badly restrained snort instead. It didn't sound loud, but when his eyes moved to meet her own, she realized it had been caught nonetheless.

"Sorry," Sindel replied- although the slight grin on her lips clearly dictated otherwise.

Raiden didn't say anything in reply, but she saw it in the look in his eyes, in the slight catch of a grin on his lips as well as he pressed them to that same place once more. Only this time, he used his teeth to graze and nip at her, antagonizing the sensations that felt like static underneath her skin. Sindel felt her resistance break and gave into the light laughter that played on the tip of her tongue- feeling his fingers massage the matching place on her other thigh.

She sounded more like a handmaiden than she did a Queen- flushed red and giggling, practically squirming underneath such careless touches.

He didn't linger long on the touches, but now that he had the knowledge of such a weakness, she knew he would use it against her at another time.

Lips moved further up her thigh, pressing subtle kisses against flushed skin, as his fingers moved into the junction of her hips. It was hard to ignore the near ache that was settling between her thighs- knowing well that he was mere inches from her, and purposely slowing his pace to build anticipation. If her already tensed abdomen pulled any tighter, it felt like it might burst on its own.

Raiden's breath filled the hollow dip of her hips just before his lips pressed down between her legs.

Fingers moved to cling to his shoulders as her entire body seemed to roll up against his lips and mouth; eager and less than patient to wait.

Her body was a sanctuary that he worshipped with lips and tongue; cascading long, broad strokes against her, quick to take her in and savor the new experience. Sindel let herself fall into the exploring touches and subtle embraces that occasionally pressed against her thighs between strokes. Fingers tangled in his hair before she carefully gathered it up in her hands and drew it away from his face; one less thing to worry for, after all.

His hands remained pressed against the junction of her thighs, allowing him to feel the subtle trembling underneath his palms.

It had been quite some time since someone had pleasured her as such; this wasn't her first time, but she could still count the experiences on one hand. Still had to fight back the slight squirming that came with someone else's warm tongue pressed so deep between her folds. She let herself take control though as she whispered instructions and turned and pressed her hips against his mouth- guiding him to where she wanted him. And there was no hesitation on his part to do so.

She made it easy for him to pick up on her reactions though. Made it easy for him to know what kind of stroke, or touch, she wanted; sometimes even before she instructed, or even knew that she needed him there.

Raiden worked her slowly, although the coiling in her stomach had her feeling like she was a few steps ahead of him.

She was a sanctuary that he wouldn't mark- not for now anyways.

Unfortunately, she couldn't spare him from the same fate.

Her hands pulled him in closer between her thighs, before they released his hair and moved to his shoulders, eventually sliding to his back. Sindel squeezed and dug her nails into his skin, partly raking it as she felt his lips close against her. It was almost a desperate grasp as she roughly kneaded and clawed at any inch of him she could reach- baptizing skin with bruises and scratches, with hard palms and tense fingers.

She felt Raiden's fingers press into the junction of her thighs as he pushed towards her, guiding her legs forward with his shoulders and angling her hips better underneath him. It was impossible to ignore how good it felt, how much better it was as he worked lips, tongue and mouth against her- working her folds over until they ached. Until she could feel those knots persistently pressing against her stomach now.

It took every bit of strength and self-control to pull him away, before she yanked him up to her lips instead- taking him into another, slightly messier kiss. Her body ached for a release, and she knew she would find it with his lips, with his mouth, but she didn't want it there. Maybe another time, but not now- not here. His hands moved underneath him as he untangled himself from her legs; as he pushed himself up and towards her, adding pressure behind his lips as he leaned into her.

Her hands took to his wounded shoulders, reminding herself to care for them later, before she eased him onto his back. Carefully rolling the two of them in sync, careful with how thin the lounging couch was underneath them.

Legs easily straddled his thighs as Sindel moved her hands to his chest to help settle herself on top of him. She felt the slight skirt of his fingers against her thighs- slow and warm against her skin. Fingers reached forward to brush a few loose strands of hair from his face, finding that it slightly stuck to the faint layer of sweat on his skin now. The white curls seemed even more ragged as they spread out underneath him like a messy hailstorm.

Her hair, on the other hand, had yet to move; there was hardly even a lock out of place.

Sindel leaned down and brushed her lips to Raiden's, slowly letting it dissolve into another kiss as she drew him to her. Subtle and slow, just enough to feel the vibrations of a quiet groan as she took him in hand- wrapping her fingers around him in moving strokes. His hands climbed to her hips, squeezing them, as she let the flat of her thumb graze across his tip, slick already to the touch.

Her fingers moved against him, but held him steady as she pushed up on her knees and aligned herself over him.

There was anticipation, but very little wait as she eased herself down.

She used his lips to muffle the collective moans that they both shared; eager and desperate to claw out from their throats. Old habits perhaps, but even when she pulled away, the hefty drawl was still caught on her lips. It twisted heavy in her chest, churning and cultivating under ribs, and she found herself having to actively keep a handle on her energy- lest a banshee scream emerged instead.

Hips settled against hips as she leaned in with her hands against his chest once more, allowing herself to savor the moment. She took in the warmth of him inside of her, the flush of heat of her own body in reaction to his; the way her hips partly trembled as she just slightly rocked them against him. Slow, subtle rocking that allowed her to feel the way he moved with her, the way he felt inside of her.

It was impossible to describe; utterly intoxicating was a close description though.

Sindel felt the way he breathed in deep underneath her, before she curled her fingers against him. A little more savoring, a little more waiting, before she began moving more prominently on top of him. Rocking long, and firm, back and forth, and back and forth.

His hands brushed from her thighs up along her sides, before Raiden coaxed her forward. One hand circled around to her back, pressing her down to him as he brought his lips to her right breast- closing his lips against her nipple. She closed her eyes and buried her head into his hair as he suckled and rolled it around in his mouth. His free hand moved to her other breast, and softly kneaded it with his fingers and against his palm. She moaned softly, feeling the careful, articulate counter thrust of his hips against hers, providing a moving rhythm between them.

She had to remind herself to breathe.

"Times have changed," Sindel mused, feeling the soft stroking from the hand against her back. "You, however, have not."

Raiden moved his lips to the valley between her breasts- just long enough to respond. "That, I would beg to differ on," he started, as hands moved to her hips, feeling the way they moved and rocked against his palms. "I must admit, however, that I certainly like this way better."

She chuckled lightly and dipped her head so that her lips brushed against his jaw. It was hard to deny that the appeal of this came in the freedom that they found in one another; the ability to finally be who and what they were meant to be. They were no longer just a secret behind a locked door.

"I do too."

He turned his head enough to catch her by the lips, before he pulled her down against him. And she went easily as she pressed herself to him, allowing him to feel the full motions of her body with every thrust. She felt every roll of his abs, every press of his hips as they rolled in junction with hers; she felt the warm press of her chest against his, felt the quick race of every breath that escaped him.

Sindel felt the way one hand curled into the back of her thigh before Raiden pulled it forward- giving himself a better angle to work from.

It was a mess of kisses, and grappling hands, and hips moving in counter sync.

It was getting increasingly harder to deny the pleased agony inside of her that continued to coil and knot with every thrust. There was tension in her stomach, causing her muscles to pull tight and firm, and with how she was pressed tight against him, she could feel the way Raiden's seemed to mirror the same state. Her fingers pressed and curled against his arms, slightly raking against him once more as she bore heavy against his hips and mouth.

And as much as she would've liked to be careful, the idea of subtle bruises on the corners of his pale lips was too great of an image to pass up on.

It wasn't like anyone would be surprised by the sight- or happen to question where such bruises might've came from.

One hand moved to slide and tangle into her hair, anchoring her to him as he took to her mouth once again. There was no denying the inevitable build up as she used his lips to muffle herself once more, lightly biting as she felt the snap of coils and knots- felt the flood of heat rush through her. Raiden's fingers curled and pressed tight against her, no doubt feeling the way her body clenched around his own.

It was a shared sensation as they roughly made it through a few more thrusts, riding out the shared finish for as long as they could, before tired energy forced them to slow down and stop. Before shaking limbs struggled to hold on as every nerve inside of them seemed to buzz with overstimulation- making hollow echoes of desperate heartbeats sound louder than they were.

She fell heavy against him; her head tucked into his shoulder as she breathed fast, and hot against his flushed skin. Her legs were trembling against his hips, before she carefully unfolded them from underneath her and laid them flat, and tangled against his own. And it was easy to feel how his legs shared in the same sort of tremors.

Sindel let her body rest for a moment or two, closing her eyes as she took him in.

The subtle brush of his fingers against her back turned into a slow, soothing gesture as he trailed them up and down her spine.

It was quiet.

At least, until the world seemed to stop spinning around her, and her body no longer felt like it was ringing.

A soft chuckle escaped her as Sindel buried her head into the curve of his neck, a little more forceful this time, as one hand moved to rub circles against his chest. His skin was still hot underneath her touch, and it was easy to feel the slight build up of sweat between the two of them.

"It's raining," she whispered- and as if on cue, a low rumble of thunder purred in the distance.

Raiden matched her soft laugh with a breathless one of his own.

"Yes well, Edenian weather is a gamble," he reminded.

Almost grinning now, she pushed herself up, and lightly rested her forearms against his beating chest, keeping him pinned underneath her. "Is that so?" she mused, words rolling out as tease. "Not willing to admit that I made you lose control? Once more, might I add."

"It is... a convincing argument."

* * *

 **A/N: Super curious here, but when did some of you start shipping Raiden/Sindel, or maybe even just finding them halfway appealing?**

 **I really liked them in Deception, which was the second MK game I played (the first being Deadly Alliance). I mean, you get the both of them in those sweet alternate costumes, and the stories practically wrote themselves.**


	7. Wind Walker

**A/N: I know what you're thinking, ' _But Beckon, it hasn't been two months since the last chapter, where did this come from?_ ' **

* * *

Fujin smiled as the sound of what might've been laughter mixed in with a heated argument echoed throughout the temple.

When Master Bo' Rai Cho had asked him to check in on his 'kin', Fujin wasn't entirely sure who the man had been referring to- especially since Raiden had yet to return from his trip to Edenia. It had been a few hours since the God's departure now, and he could really only hope that the news was going over well enough. He couldn't see why it wouldn't really, it was clear both Raiden and Sindel were interested in the prospect of marriage. They were all the more accepting of it really, even if Raiden had been a little less forward with such admittance.

To say that the wait was putting everyone on edge was a bit of an understatement though.

Bo' Rai Cho had even cracked out his home-brewed cider that he saved for special occasions, and was diligently waiting for Raiden's return.

It might be a long wait still, but they were all fairly used to sitting around and waiting for good news; it was just usually set in a more dire situation.

At the very least, from the voices alone, he knew well enough who he was dealing with- who the Shaolin Master had been referring to.

Making his way through one of the outer corridors, Fujin stepped out into the connective courtyard and paused long enough to take in the warmth of the afternoon sun on his skin. A few too many hours cooped up in the archives to pass time had left him a little starved for the fresh air and the warm breeze.

He had barely stopped in time to avoid the whistling of something as it cut right past him, slicing through the air just a few inches from him. He felt his energy flare slightly in response to the sudden motion.

"Mine _definitely_ went further that time."

"To _Hell_ it did."

"I almost hit Fujin. It went further."

Fujin shook his head at the ongoing argument, which he might've held concern for had scattered laughter not been involved with it. If anything, it was a relief to see the two Shaolins acting so well around one another, no doubt getting into trouble just the same though. Not that he had had any worries about them interacting, but with how Raiden had spoken about Liu Kang before, there was always that lingering sense of fear.

One that usually clung to him like an abnormal weight, like a heavy rock in the middle of the water.

But such was not the case now.

"Fine, yours went further," Kung Lao admitted, holding his hands up as though to bow to defeat, before he snapped his fingers. There was a slight shift of energy before his trademark bladed hat reappeared in his grasp a few seconds later. "Which just means that you'll also have to run further to get it back."

Fujin watched as Kung Jin looked off to wherever his Chakram had been thrown to- a sudden look of realization coming to him now.

"... Fuck," he started, causing his older cousin to sputter slightly before he dissolved into laughter at the sudden curse. "Goddamnit- is there a spell or something I can put on the damn thing so it'll come back on its own?"

"Yeah, but I'm not telling you."

It had been a little over a year now since the ordeal with the Revenants ended in such a bittersweet conclusion. They had been freed, been saved, but the past year had proven that some could recover and bounce back, and some couldn't. Not so easily anyways. A year was hardly enough time to make judgement, but hopeful steps had been made, and things were slowly getting off on the right foot for some.

Twenty-five years in Hell would equally need twenty-five years of recovery, and while it seemed like such a far off goal now...

It was doable; it was possible.

For all of them.

If one wanted to use the phrase that Kung Lao had struck lucky in the recovery lottery though, it wouldn't necessarily be untrue. He had always been high-energy and high-spirit; an optimist, an opportunist even. He had made well enough recovery on his own during those few weeks in the Special Forces hospital; over two decades in the Netherrealm being influenced by dark energy had left all of them in critical health. Old wounds that had never healed properly were suddenly putting them in excruciating agony- no longer having Quan Chi's magic to dull the pain and keep them fighting.

By the time Kung Lao had made it home, back to the Shaolin Temple, he was on the right foot to self-recovery, to self-forgiveness.

The addition of his cousin, of Kung Jin, seemed to give him something to push for as well.

Jin had been born at the start of the Tournament, so Kung Lao had only seen him just that one time. Not that that had stopped the man from going around and introducing everyone to his new cousin, much to the dismay of Jin's mother. Kung Jin had only been a child, an infant, the first and last time Kung Lao had seen him- which was certainly a far cry from the man he was now, nearly a full foot taller, and wider, than the former Champion.

The two got along almost immediately, nearly mirroring one another in a sense.

Fujin suspected that Kung Jin brought back that wild, and youthful spirt Kung Lao had always had; the one that usually got him into trouble more often than not. And the positive response from his older cousin was enough to get the younger of the two out of his shell and get him to embrace something more than just his cynical look on life. It was an equal parts trade that was doing good for the both of them.

"Having fun out here, are we?" Fujin questioned, as he stepped down onto the courtyard and gradually made his way towards the two. He lifted one hand and summoned the wind needed to retrieve Kung Jin's Chakram from where it had landed partly embedded in a tree at the end of the courtyard. He wondered briefly if that had been its original goal, or if when he had gotten spooked earlier, his burst of energy had dislodged the weapon from its given course. Regardless, he tossed it back to its owner. "Hopefully you're not causing any more cosmetic damages to the temple."

"It was once," Kung Jin replied, as he caught the disc weapon in mid-air and clipped it back onto his belt for the time being.

"Twice," Kung Lao corrected.

" _I_ had nothing to do with that second time," Kung Jin reminded, before he turned his attention back to the Wind God. "We were just having a little fun, having a little harmless contest, that's all."

An innocent answer, but considering who was involved there were cautions to be taken with it.

"Looking to partake, my old friend?" Kung Lao questioned, as he slipped his hat onto his back once more- allowing it to hang from around his neck.

Fujin found himself both happy and relieved to be addressed with such an endearing term. Once again he remembered how Raiden had spoken about his decayed relationship with Liu Kang, and it was all the more clear how it was eating at his brother to suffer such a close loss for a second time. It was a personal matter between the two of them, and it would take a long, long time for them to reach a collective, forgiving impasse- if there was still one left for them to reach.

It stirred up old, but still raw fears of him losing Kung Lao just the same.

Raw fears of having not done enough to protect him, to save him; old fears of the man lashing out at him for all of it.

Fears that had been laid to rest for now.

"If there is room for another," Fujin spoke, conjuring a short, harmless whirlwind with the circling of his fingers. "I believe I could make this game of yours a little more... challenging."

"See, now we're talking-"

"Lord Fujin!"

He turned slightly at the sudden call and watched as two figures seemed to be in a hurry as they made their way through the same corridor he had just come from. It didn't take him long to recognize the figures, but their sudden appearances left him wondering what might've spurred Princess Kitana and Jade to come here of all places. Let alone to seek him out.

Then again, he had a feeling he might already know the answer to such question.

"Princess Kitana, Princess Jade, it is good to see you again," Fujin nodded. He watched as the two seemed to move in near perfect sync as they stepped down onto the courtyard with them. "Have you come by to say your greetings before heading off to the Shirai Ryu temple?"

His question spurred a slight frown from Kitana.

Jade, however, seemed all the more amused by it.

"Yes, but that is hardly the full reason- and hardly any of your business," Kitana retorted, somewhat stiffly at first, before what might've been a falsely amused smile came to her lips. "You should know that your _brother_ has casted his storms all over Edenia."

Despite the woman's amusingly annoyed tone, Fujin understood well what the meaning behind it was implying. And he couldn't help but to crack a slight grin at the new information. "Is that so?" he questioned. "Well I suppose that can only mean one thing then."

"A celebratory yes, or a pitied no," Jade offered.

"I think it's leaning more towards a yes," Fujin replied. "But perhaps we shall wait for them to return and spread the good news themselves- although I'm certain that all of Edenia knows it by now."

"Yes, and most of Edenia is celebrating in the rain dance," Jade continued, making an amusing, yet crude gesture with her hands as she spoke. It drew a brief laugh from Kung Lao, but earned her a slight slap on the hands from Kitana, who was trying, and failing, to hide her own amusement. "Admit it, it was funny," she pressed.

"Hardly," Kitana denied.

Just the same as it had been with the other Revenant, both Kitana and Jade were still in the full process of healing and recovery. While it might've been their Edenian blood that reduced the noticeable scars left behind by the corruption, making any physical evidence near impossible to detect, it didn't exclude them from the others. They were all in the same boat, and had slowly come back around to accepting one another.

Fujin didn't know if it was because of the sudden expulsion of dark energy, or the extended time they had fought together in the Netherrealm, but... After being purged, the Revenant refused to acknowledge one another. It was impossible to know everything that had happened in those two missing decades, but any sense of companionship, or any forged alliances were gone.

If they didn't outright reject one another's existence, they were at one another's throats instead.

But slowly, with time, that too was paving itself over, and opening burnt bridges again.

"Kung Lao, my friend, you're looking well," Jade remarked genuinely enough as she made her way over to him. One hand touched lightly at his arm as she drew close, before she moved to run her fingers through his short hair- still in the process of regrowing down into a braid. The gesture caused the man to laugh once more before he pulled away from her.

"You haven't changed, Jade" Kung Lao offered, earning a playful knock to the ribs. "Going to stick around with the Shirai Ryu, or are you planning on harassing me during your time here?"

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Jade spoke in mock surprise, one hand at her cheek now to sell the act. "Why thank you for such a delightful idea, Lao. After all, I'm sure you're lonely here without me."

"Actually I find that I'm more at peace without you," he replied, laughing again as he shielded himself from another tap of her fist.

"Are you two done?" both Kitana and Kung Jin mirrored at the same time, nearly wearing the same exasperated expression.

"You know, if you're interested, Jin, 'Jin, and myself were just about to start up another challenge round," Kung Lao started, brandishing his hat once more. "Both you and Kitana are more than welcomed to join in."

Jade offered a brief smile, before she pulled her tribladed Cyclone Thrower free from her back. "I see no harm in taking up on your challenge, monk. What say you, Kitana? It's been awhile since you've had some proper fun anywhere."

The Edenian Princess rolled her eyes with a brief smile on her lips.

"Oh don't you worry about me, Jade," Kitana assured, as fingers summoned her steel fan into her hand- flashing its decorative ribs. "I'll have plenty of fun wiping the courtyard with you three."

* * *

The slightest press of a cool rag against one shoulder was enough to stir a mild throb of pain underneath his skin, causing him to wince in response.

"Sorry."

Her apology was quiet, and genuine, although the smallest hint of amusement could be heard mixed somewhere in her tone.

Raiden spared her with a quiet chuckle of his own- hell, he couldn't help but to laugh at himself just the same.

He had dealt with plenty of injuries in his lifetimes, especially given the past decade or so. From fighting the Revenant, to fighting Shinnok, to even fighting himself, it felt like he had done nothing else but deal with pain in the past year alone. Each time he pushed on, doing his best to work through the grievous injuries, and to ignore the constant pain that throbbed with each one.

The injuries from Shinnok alone had nearly crippled him.

And the ones he had inflicted upon himself during his corrupted state had nearly cost him his own life.

So one would think that a few scratches on his shoulders and back would be nothing short of a mild annoyance and nothing else.

Such was not the case.

Raiden remembered her digging in and bearing against his skin, but he must've been ignorant to the kinds of damages she could do. The scratches partly burned, partly ached with the slightest of movement, causing him to try and stay as still as possible as Sindel tended to them. It felt like each cut layered itself over another, overlapping into one conglomerated mess.

And a brief glance in the mirror had revealed such truth, had revealed the criss-crossed patterns of thin, red lines.

It also revealed where some of them had drawn blood, leaving his back slightly covered with crimson trails that fell along the dips and curves of his skin.

"Perhaps next time, we go a little easier," Raiden offered, feeling her hands gentler this time as she now carefully overlapped a new layer of cold, soaking flower petals onto his shoulders. A rather far cry from the modern medicine of Earthrealm, but Edenian medicine had started, and had evolved through the process of combining herbal techniques with magic. It was a delicate procedure that took years of training to master- not to mention an extensive garden that required near around-the-clock care. It was a process he had limited knowledge in, although this certainly wouldn't be the first time he had been subjected to Edenian healing.

Still, the cold petals would have the scratches healed up within the hour, which one had to admit was more than any modern medicine could promise to do.

Although he was certain that it also might've been an excuse for her to keep him around for just a little longer.

"Or you could trim your nails."

Sindel gave a quiet laugh. "You never touch an Edenian's nails, my Lord," she teased; she dropped her voice a little when she spoke next. "And you would have to tie me down before you ever touched mine."

"I will do so if it is the only way."

She laughed once more as she carefully laid out more of the petals onto his back, gently pressing them against his skin to stick. "I would be careful if I were you, Raiden- I might just look forward to it."

He was partly glad that she was seated at his back, mostly so that he could avoid her seeing the slight rush of heat to his face at her words. Let alone the imagery.

It was still a little surreal that what had happened between them had actually happened- that it wasn't just some kind of dream, or age old memory. This time had felt so new, so pure; it was like reliving that first time all over again, reliving that same vulnerability. They must've stayed out there for an hour or so afterwards, just taking in the moment and letting old memories run them by to make room for new ones.

They eventually moved back inside when the quiet call of decency was too much to not answer to. They settled themselves in one of the many, and empty, lounging rooms the palace had to offer, which gave them some added sense of privacy.

They partly redressed, although she more so than him since he still remained naked from the waist up- at her insistence so that she could tend to his shoulders and back.

He was currently seated backwards in a chair, while she was sitting on a table behind him; a mess of herbal supplies all around her. It wasn't the most royal thing to be seen doing, but she hardly seemed to mind.

If anyone decided to walk into this room right now, and see the two of them as they currently were, Raiden highly doubted that the guest would even care to acknowledge them. Let alone be able to recognize who they were, and why they might just be slightly important. But it was nice to relax, and let his hair down every now and again- both figuratively, and literally.

It was still raining outside.

Which was odd seeing as he had carefully taken back control over his own energy- still not willing to admit that she had caused him to lose his hold over it in the first place. But he knew that the storm outside wasn't being influenced by him, or at least not directly. It still could've been a lingering aftereffect from his unstable energy, but this also could've been Edenia itself raining on its own.

It would be difficult to point fingers over the matter.

"Well, that should be it," Sindel spoke; her hands gently pressing against his shoulders to ensure that everything was in place and sticking.

It was a little hard to ignore how the wet petals clung to his skin, making it feel a little tight to move under the medical decorations. He had to admit that they were soothing, and that the slight throbbing from the cuts had dulled down now. He probably looked ridiculous, but as long as they worked, he didn't have a reason to complain.

Her hands gently pulled him back and eased him between her thighs, allowing him to partly rest against her without touching his back. She draped her arms over his shoulders, still without touching, and lightly buried her head into his hair once more. He heard her give out a quiet, content sigh, and couldn't help but to fall into the moment as well. His arms moved to drape over her parted thighs, and briefly squeezed them against his sides.

The stillness didn't last long before he felt her palms against his jaw, and felt her tilt his head back towards her- allowing her to brush her lips against his forehead in a gentle embrace.

"Remind me not to put my hands on you the night before the wedding."

Raiden chuckled lightly and tilted his head back further back, just barely catching her lips against his own this time. "Speaking of wedding-"

"Tsk," Sindel teased as she pulled away now. "You are too curious, my Lord."

"Yes well... I think one could say that we enjoyed our engagement well enough," he reminded- sparking a brief laugh from her lips.

"You might have gotten me there," she easily admitted; her fingers gently running through his white locks once more. She moved to wrap her legs around his front, gently crossing her heels over his abdomen now. "As I have mentioned before, a traditional Edenian wedding will last five days at minimum. The given length of time all depends on the family, and the certain customs within each family," Sindel started. "You requested earlier for a reason for such a lengthy ceremony, and there are a few reasons to be given for it."

Raiden let his fingers run along the length of her thigh as he awaited her answer.

"As you would know, Edenians live for quite some time, and because of such, we wish to make sure that our marriages last the same. It is the start of a new life together, you want to make sure it is something that everyone will remember." Sindel gave pause and seemed to smile to herself, before she continued. "The first day is spent together with friends and family to announce and bring forth the blending of our worlds- _figuratively_ speaking of course. The second day is when we will actually wed. The third day is a celebration to the marriage, as are the fourth and fifth ones, should you choose not to add additional days. Of course, there are different activities and such planned for each individual day, as are there different attires to match, and different meanings to convey. You and I will need to pick out one of those three days to be our holy day- in which we spend the day isolated from the guests. It's supposed to symbolize how we will spend our remaining days together, as well as to see how our families and friends will react to one another without our intervention."

A little more information than he was anticipating- and he had a feeling that this was a drastically shortened version of it all.

"Yes well, I don't think we will have too much of an issue with our friends and family," Raiden started. "Many of them know each other well enough as it is- some a little too much for their own good."

Sindel shot him an amused smile. "That is true- perhaps it will work best in our favor."

Perhaps.

At the same time, however, while many of their acquaintances were well aware of one another, it wasn't acknowledgement in good spirit. There was still some tension between Earthrealm and Outworld, and many of his people weren't exactly thrilled by the presence of certain Outworld royalty. With hope, it wasn't a big enough issue that everyone couldn't just overlook it for a few days.

Or better yet, maybe everyone could find some common ground of goodwill between one another before then.

Raiden had never really given it much thought considering that the threat of war had dissipated for the time being. But now the idea of something blowing up at the wedding was making him reconsider his concerns over it.

"Speaking of such, I have a feeling that I, or perhaps _we_ , will have a hard time convincing General Blade to take five days off from her work."

Sindel chuckled and kissed at his forehead once more. "This is a monumental occasion, as well as a big step in security for both realms, I'm sure General Blade will find the time to attend," she assured. "I might have a difficult time convincing Mileena to join as well, but I'm certain that we will both see success at the end of these trials."

* * *

It was late by the time Raiden returned to Earthrealm- a near full day since he had departed that morning.

The sun had long since fallen, and a cool breeze had settled over the quiet temple; the faint light of the nightly lanterns only added to the tranquil atmosphere, making it an easy sight to take in after a rather chaotic day. Such an extended stay in Edenia brought out the differences between it and Earthrealm. It felt heavier here, darker almost; it was almost like there was a sense of weight to the air around him. It even reacted differently to him.

But the stillness around him reminded him that while Edenia was a nirvana, Earthrealm would always be his home.

Raiden started down the stairs in front of him, set on retreating to the Jinsei chamber for the night.

He barely made it to the bottom before he felt a pair of hands suddenly grab at him instead though.

"Come, before Master Bo' Rai Cho finds you," Fujin ushered, practically dragging him out of the observatory archive and across the courtyard outside.

Raiden stumbled to keep up with the man, before he caught his footing and reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged across the temple grounds. It was late, and Master Bo' Rai Cho would've been asleep by now; although that wasn't to say that the man wouldn't've stayed up to await the good news himself. It really all depended on how much he had been drinking within the past few hours or so, but given the late time, Raiden would bet he was passed out in his bed by now- willing to put the good news off until the next morning.

He didn't know how many courtyards they bypassed before the Wind God allowed them to stop- seemingly satisfied with the distance put behind them.

"How did it go? What happened?" Fujin pressed, eagerness all too easy to read on his face.

And he should've guessed that his brother would drag him all the way out here just to get the answer first.

And he might've given him an answer had something else not caught his attention.

"What happened to your face?" Raiden questioned instead, taking note of the thin cut that ran across the man's left cheek.

Fujin touched briefly at the thin injury, seemingly paying it no mind. "A slight... miscalculation during a weapon throwing contest," he answered. "The idea was to see who could throw theirs the furtherest. And considering that each weapon had a rather significant blade on it, it was in bad conscious to have reversed the direction of the wind to uh, simply see what might happen."

"It is truly a miracle that you have lived this long."

"Enough about me, just tell me how it went," the Wind God insisted.

Right.

"I gave her my answer," Raiden replied, drawing the silence out before he added. "And we agreed that we should start planning the wedding soon enough."

"... Okay, and?"

"And nothing."

The brief look of disappointment was easy to watch as it washed over Fujin's face. "Oh come on-"

"We talked. Nothing else."

The shortness of his words seemed to do the trick as the Wind God rolled his eyes before he held his hands up in mock defeat.

"Of course," Fujin spoke. "I'm sure there was much to discuss between you two. After all, it has been a long time since Edenia has last seen a marriage- and I'm sure Queen Sindel had a lot to say and discuss about it. I'm just glad that she is strong and willing to put the bad of the past behind her. It is something I think we could all see is worth doing." The Wind God paused slightly, before he brought his hands to his shoulders and smiled, giving them a brief squeeze. "I've said it before, but I am proud of you, my brother."

"Thank you, Fujin-" Raiden started, only to feel the subtle dig of his fingers against his shoulders now- irritating the healed scratches on them.

"- But I don't believe for a second that all you did was talk."

A quick burst of electricity was all it took to have Fujin pull away, laughing as the tips of his fingers had smoke trails coming off of them.

"Are you done, or should I leave now and let you get it out of your system first?" Raiden pressed.

"It would be best to leave now, brother- I don't see this _not_ being a topic every time you show up."

* * *

 **A/N: I got super busy so I wasn't able to reply to anyone's reviews, but I'm really glad that the last chapter was so well received! I mean, it took me two months, so hopefully it was worth the wait. (Took two months of building courage to get that chapter written lol).**

 **And I suppose it's nice to know that if there's any sort of legacy I'm going to leave behind, it's going to be Sinden smut.**


	8. Planning

"Feeling better this morning, your Highness?"

Sindel offered a soft laugh at the question as she barely even looked up at the new voice, although she knew well enough who it was. Her eyes and attention were more focused on the scattered books and stacks of parchment paper cluttered around her. Each piece of paper hastily scribbled with mostly neatly taken notes; a small backfire of trying to use magic to control the pen while she kept her hands free and flipping through yellow-aged books.

"If you had asked me that the day before, Sheeva, I would've given you a far more articulate answer," she mused- catching the restrained look of amusement on the Shokan woman's face as she ducked through the doorway to enter the small archives room. Even with a majority of the doors in the palace set tall to match the elevated ceilings, the woman still had to carefully make herself fit through them, or risk breaking the frames in her wake.

"You are shameless."

"I am happy," she corrected, setting her pen and book aside for now, before she leaned back in to her chair. She had been up for a few hours already at this point, and she could already feel the ache of spending most of her morning hunched over books. She had been up for a few hours and the Shokan woman in front of her was the only person she had seen since getting up.

The palace was always quietest during the early and late morning hours since most of the workers were either out in the gardens, or hastily running errands around the city. She liked it best when it was quiet and empty, especially given the task that she was trying to tackle at the moment.

And seeing as Kitana and Jade were still in Earthrealm, where they would no doubt be staying for a few more days, she would take her time in enjoying the solitude.

The memories of the day before were still fresh on her skin, and Sindel found herself still lovingly running her fingers against her neck and shoulders. She could still remember the heat of Raiden's lips that had been there so shortly before; she could still feel his presence on her skin.

"How are your wedding plans coming along?" Sheeva questioned as she paused just at the other side of the table between them. One set of arms were crossed under her chest, while the other set resided on her wide hips. The table itself barely came up to the woman's lower thighs, but the collection of books haphazardly stacked up might've came up to about her upper thigh.

"Complicated," Sindel replied, giving a brief sigh as she rubbed her temple with two fingers. "It has been a long, long time, and I've been having to brush up on a lot of the customs and traditions and such. I can't afford to skip a step in this delicate process as it is. Every detail must be explored, carefully picked out, and served- even if I'm not certain of which ones those are."

She had spent the morning collecting all of the Edenian literature and history books that she had in stored in the records and archives- any and all that still existed anyways. Centuries upon thousands of centuries had left very little behind for her to scrap together. The takeover of Edenia by Outworld didn't help either as the massive destruction and burnings of their structures had utterly erased a majority of their written history. Traces of their literature could still potentially be found in Outworld though, and she considered going to Mileena to ask if it was something that could be looked into.

Earthrealm as well might have something.

She had been writing down all that she could remember herself, but some memories were harder to access than others. She knew of her wedding to Jarod, knew of the steps they had taken then to carefully plan and execute the wedding. That was how she knew to warn Raiden that it was better to start planning sooner rather than later. It was just the smaller, more intimate details that were eluding her.

If anything, the work she was doing now would pay off well in the long run.

She was doing everything she could, not just for the wedding, but for Kitana and Jade's sake as well. So that they might know everything they could about their home realm, and continue to lead it forward when it was their time to step in.

"I hate to admit that my memories of traditional weddings are... hazy at best," Sindel continued, as she gestured loosely to the numerous books she had stacked and pushed to one end of the table for the time being. Most of their spines had been faded and were broken, some were a little burnt still, but thankfully she had a skilled team currently re-recording and rewriting everything that was here. To preserve the knowledge and memories of the past. "I feel like there were so many weddings while I was growing up. So many before my own, and yet now that I look back on them, I don't think such was the case." She paused enough to chuckle lightly at herself. "Perhaps when I was younger, and less refined, back when they were a bore to be involved in, there seemed to be a wedding around every corner. But as I'm older now, when I'm trying to preserve traditions and information, it doesn't seem like there had been enough."

"Yours will be the first after many, many centuries," Sheeva noted.

"Hence why it must be a perfect Edenian occasion," she sighed, fingers lightly tracing the smooth edge of the table now. "This will be a new start, a new leaf for Edenia- I have to ensure that we get off on the right foot, and that we mend bridges where we can. It may cause for an awkward guest list in some regards, but that is a challenge that has been ongoing for months now."

Converging a guest list consisting of Earthrealm, Outworld, and Edenia was trouble seemingly waiting to happen. Each and every warrior from each realm had once been at the other's throat, slinging sovereignty and death threats back and forth. There had been a war, a revival, and recovery all taken place all too quickly- barely giving anyone time to take a breath and consider an apology.

Treaties had been made, but only because each realm was vulnerable, and weak; they were only strong if they stood together.

For now, things were holding up and holding together, but... things weren't always so calm after a storm, and there was always a chance for another one to brew.

Sindel rubbed at her temple once more, before she gestured to the books in front of her. "There are a few records on Edenian magic somewhere, what do you think our odds of finding some sort of suppression spell would be? Perhaps something to cast before the guest arrive to lower everyone's combative needs towards one another."

It was a humorous thought at least.

One that she might still be intrigued to look into later.

The Shokan woman provided a soft chuckle herself, offering that much to her open thought, before she seemed to recompose herself. "Are you so certain that you want to go through with this proposal?" Sheeva questioned, fingers gripping at her hips for a moment, before her secondary arms moved to cross over her partial second torso as well. "At the risk of bringing up illness, your former marriage has not been over for that long. I know you're still plagued by nightmares over it, and I know that it will not be so easily overlooked once the wedding has begun."

Perhaps it was a look that she had unknowingly given the woman, but the Shokan gave up a soft sigh and shifted her weight onto her heels.

"You bare your confidence on your sleeve, Sindel, but... are you so willing to put another ring on your finger? Would you really want to share Edenia with someone else once more? After you have barely reclaimed it for yourself?"

The question lingered heavy in the air between them.

Weighed down by stones, by the colorful rocks that had once adorned her ring finger.

Jewels and gems that had long since been broken and forced to decay by now.

Sindel curled her left hand, pressing fingernails into her palm, as she rooted through the woman's words. "I understand where you're coming from, Sheeva," she started, running the flat of her thumb over the vacant spot of her ring finger- still feeling the ring that had burnt a circular scar into it. "You were there alongside me after all- you saw it from beginning to end."

The woman had started on the opposite side from her in some regards, a less than suitable start to their decades-long friendship. But all that mattered was that they had ended on the same side, and were together now.

Sheeva had followed and worked with Shao Kahn as one of his warriors, and advisors. And after she had been resurrected by Shang Tsung's magic, the Shokan had been placed as her personal bodyguard- a position that Sheeva had originally held with some distain. She felt as though she had been purposely removed from the battlefield, where she belonged, so that she might watch after a possessed Queen. All while Goro and Kintaro continued to win favors and battles for the Emperor.

The two of them spent many years together, eventually solidifying a friendship between one another.

One that abruptly ended at the devastating conclusion of the Tournament.

But when she came back, free of corruption, and free of Shao Kahn, she came back to find her friend as Queen amongst the Shokan.

A Queen to a species facing extinction against the heavily numbered Osh-Tekk, Tarkatan, and Centaur.

A fate she too faced with Edenia.

"The topic of rushing into this proposal has come up before- you are not the first to question it," Sindel continued. "And I would be foolish to deny that, as I'm starting to make these plans, and starting to put things together, those memories aren't a constant lingering presence in the back of my mind."

A careful pause, a moment to recognize the slight ache of her hand which was tightly clenched now.

"But this is for Edenia, for and foremost; this is to protect my realm, and it's people from another potential takeover, from another potential Outworld war. Do I believe either of those are possible right now? No. Could all of this had been achieved without a marriage to Earthrealm? Yes, I believe so. I'm no longer the naive Queen that I was before; I know what I'm capable of- what I need to be prepared for. Just as well, my daughters have grown into equally strong protectors. They would stop at nothing to protect themselves, each other, and this realm."

She relaxed her grip, unburied her nails from her palm, and slowly uncurled her fingers- feeling the painful ache of stressed tendons releasing.

She urged herself to relax, to release the tension that had set so tightly in her knuckles.

"There is a lot to explore with the given circumstances, but... underneath all of this is a happy marriage to look forward to- a willing one," Sindel spoke, lightly smiling now as the words came to her. "And I have chosen to put my focus on that instead. I want to be happy. I deserve to be happy. And so, I will be happy."

It took the Shokan woman a moment or two before she nodded. "Of course," Sheeva replied. "As long as you think you can do this-"

"I know I can," she corrected, before fingers touched at her shoulder once more. "However, if Raiden continues to show the same tenacity as he did the day before, I can't promise that I'll be able to handle this still walking."

Sheeva snorted, and moved one hand to brush through her hair- using the gesture to cover the quick-reacting grin. "Are you not above such childish humor?"

"We are adults, and of royalty, Sheeva- I think we can handle it," Sindel teased, before she gestured to the partly-filled chair next to her. "Now come, sit with me, and put those arms of yours to use and help me with these books, my dear."

The Shokan woman shook her head before she moved to the book-covered chair next to her, and lifted the stack with one hand. Her other three hands shifted through the heavy books, eyeing each cover over before she placed them on the table. One of them seemingly caught her eye as she held it up for closer inspection. "Is this a book on wedding attires? Why are there so many different styles on the front? How many dresses does one need for a wedding?"

Sindel looked up at the remark, watching as the Shokan woman opened the cover and began thumbing through the design book. "- Oh no."

Sheeva looked down over the cover, eyebrow slightly arched at the words. "Is there a problem?"

"Not necessarily," she offered, before she pushed forward and lifted her pen once more. "I'm just now realizing that I'm in dire need of a few more tailors now that you bring that up- more than the ones I already have on staff." Her pen began moving as her thoughts scrambled together now. "I'll need custom outfits for myself, for Kitana, Jade, Mileena, and Tanya- as well as for you, Sheeva. And potentially for some of our guests. And that's only counting the wedding portion, not the multiple receptions before and after. I'll need to get color and material samples- not to mention, get the four of them into one room together for a few hours. The outfits don't have to be matching, but they'll have to be similar enough that they won't clash with each other. I know Mileena has a few tailors of her own, and while bringing them in won't be a bad idea, it might cause for some inconsistencies in the styles."

The four of them were raised in Outworld however, so there was the possibility that they might all lean towards the Outworld styles instead.

It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, just as long as the styles were pleasing.

"There is still plenty of time to get these done, there's no need to rush, or panic over it just yet," Sheeva replied, as she snapped the book closed, but kept it in hand. As though the woman knew that she might reach for it to see what the book had to offer her.

"No, but it is something that should be tackled soon," Sindel noted. "It will take months for the outfits to be complete, and you out of everyone will need to be measured, and fitted as soon as possible. We can always make proper adjustments when the date gets closer, but as long as the outfits are done as soon as possible, it'll take a bulk of the stress away." She paused in the midst of her notes, before she turned to the woman. "Of course I'm speaking out of turn here. Are there any Shokan customs that you would prefer to adhere to?"

"Shokan battles were always a priority," Sheeva remarked, crossing her secondary arms once more. "We gave very little attention to weddings- unless they were of royal nature and/or a result of a much needed treaty. The only custom we had, and still carry with us, was to face off with your newly wedded spouse on your wedding night- to test one another's abilities in any given situation." A pause, before a slightly restrained, amused smile came to the woman. "Perhaps you and Lord Raiden could adopt that custom. It would be a better explanation as to why you cannot walk the next morning."

She offered a laugh. "Now you're just being mean," she replied, before adding. "I'll proposal a counter. If someone gets too rowdy at the reception, you're more than welcomed to take care of them yourself."

"You will have three realms convening into one secluded area with plenty of fighters to go around- you best be serious with that offer," Sheeva reminded. "And you best warn the guests ahead of time."

"I'm certain everyone will... ah, perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing to bring up anyways."

Moving the rest of the books, Sheeva finally took to the chair next to her and began shuffling through the collection of books she already had out. No doubt eyeing them over and seeing what had already been collected. Perhaps the two of them could go into Outworld later and see if the archives there had anything else to offer. Despite a rough beginning, and some tense discussions, Mileena had made a pact with the Shokans to keep her Tarkatan forces out of their territories. She had even offered an additional olive branch to clear out and protect them from any remaining Osh-Tekk, but Sheeva had politely turned it down.

The Shokan numbers might have been dwindling, but that didn't mean that they had lost their power.

They were still capable of battle, and protecting themselves.

For now, they had a protected area in Outworld to control and focus on repopulating their numbers, as well as a land portion in Edenia. It was the least she could do for her Shokan allies, for Sheeva and her people.

"Here is a question I wonder if you've already been asked," Sheeva started. "You have stated before that you have four daughters already to Edenia."

Kitana, and Mileena were biological.

Jade had been given into the family, and Tanya would soon be family by law.

They were still all, rightly so, her daughters, and the daughters to Edenia.

"And it would seem as though with each marriage, you were given a new daughter."

Kitana with Jarod.

Mileena and Jade with Shao Kahn.

"With your new marriage to Lord Raiden, will there be more to come?"

The question lingered for a moment, before it finally clicked. "Oh," Sindel started, not quite noticing that her magic had snapped her pen in half with the single response. "The wedding has yet to be planned, and you are already asking me such personal questions," she lightly chided.

"With how you've been speaking of the Lord's... prowess, I figured it was only a matter of time," Sheeva teased. "Least it happen after, rather than before the wedding. Not that that would be of any disturbance."

She chuckled lightly and leaned back into her chair once more. "Yes well, Lord Raiden and I are well into our ages, although we may still have many, many centuries ahead of us. It has not yet been brought up, or even thought of, but... I would not say that is out of the question," she offered. "It would be a long, long time before such a topic is brought up between he and I, but I must admit that it is an amusing thought."


	9. TimeSkip

"Raiden, you must've came back _stupid_ if you think I can just fuck off for five days."

He had dutifully anticipated such a response.

Or at least, Raiden knew that he should've- vulgar or not. And yet there was still a hint of surprise taken in the words.

He knew that General Blade wouldn't risk leaving Earthrealm without her guidance, without her protection for nearly a week's time; she was fully committed, and extremely loyal to the job. And Elder Gods knew that she had sacrificed plenty enough for it. The General ensured that not so much as a single hole appeared in Earthrealm's security; more often than not, she personally handled things every chance she could- at least when politics and bureaucracy would allow her to.

And Raiden couldn't blame her for it.

After the brief invasion by Kotal Kahn during the war against Shinnok, General Blade was working nonstop to ensure that it would never happen again. And even though she had been the one to first offer a treaty between Earthrealm and Outworld, offering her hand to Mileena, Sonya still refused to let her guard down. Raiden figured the woman took the invasion personally- especially considering that Kotal Kahn had outright threatened Cassie and her team with ritual decapitation.

Then again, Sonya was a woman in a very rare seat of power, and criticisms were quick to be thrown at her at every little motion that could be perceived as being wrong. She made shaking the words off look easy, but it was very clear when things got under her skin.

And the ordeals with the Shirai Ryu, with Shinnok, with Kotal Kahn- all of it got under her skin.

Still, Raiden supposed he had expected that she would've given the request a little more leeway considering the circumstances that came with it. He figured she would've at least given it _some_ thought before outright shutting him down.

"Five days is a huge hole in security around here," Sonya reiterated, now choosing to give a more proper, formal response to his invitation.

"Yes, but this wedding is a big step in security," Raiden reminded, "- for all of us."

There was a slight wrinkle across the bridge of the General's nose; a small frown caught on the corners of her lips as Sonya tapped the hefty folder in hand against her opposite palm. It was at least easy to tell that she was running the words, the situation, the circumstances all over in her head- no doubt at least seeing what he meant by it. Seeing why it was so important to at least consider.

This wedding would lead to the proper binding between Earthrealm and Edenia.

And it would be hard to take that first step in the right direction for all of them if the military leader of all of Earthrealm wasn't present during any of it.

"I will see what I can do," Sonya spoke once more, this time after several intense seconds of silence. "I'll see how flexible my schedule is ahead of time, but I cannot make any promises. I understand that this is a matter that I should drop everything for, but unfortunately I can't exactly do that at any given time. You know this."

It was the start of a step in his favor.

"Of course," Raiden nodded. He was smart enough to know when not to rush, or press her, otherwise he would risk throwing any and all progress made away. He knew she had things that she needed to deal with at the time being, and him interrupting her schedule now was not going to work in the grand scheme of things. "We can speak more in-depth about this later- perhaps when you have the time to do so."

"Yeah, I'll pencil you in when I can," Sonya remarked, brushing him off for now as she moved to push past him. "I got a meeting in ten, and I'll be booked for most of the afternoon and evening. If you've got time later tonight then drop by my office, and we'll discuss this in further detail."

Raiden waited until the General had walked off and was well out of ear shot before he let out the heavy sigh that had been residing in his chest the whole time. Fingers moved to pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to quell the minor ache behind his eyes. He knew that this approach was going to be difficult, but it was already proving to be a little more complicated than he had originally anticipated.

Going around and breaking the news about the final arrangements for the wedding was sure to be stressful enough, but this already felt like it was a bad start on his behalf.

Perhaps he should've started with someone easier- someone like Cage.

The man would've been difficult in his own right, but only in terms of making sarcastic remarks scattered between genuine remarks of congratulations. That much was easy to deal with at least.

General Blade, however, was on an entirely new level of difficult. But in terms of hierarchy around here, she was at the top of the chain.

She deserved to be the first to know, and her standing in Earthrealm dictated such.

After all, Raiden had much that he owed to her for keeping Earthrealm safe and secure during his year-long absence.

With hope, and with the advanced wedding invitation that he had given her, the General would find the time to step away from her desk, and from the Special Forces, and enjoy the celebration. Raiden knew that weddings left a bad taste in her mouth, but with the respect that Sonya had towards Edenia, and Queen Sindel, it seemed like something that she would deem worthy of toughing out- if only this one time.

"Looks like you made some real progress there, Lord Raiden."

Raiden frowned at the remark, recognizing the voice well enough that he didn't need to see who it came from to know who it was- but he turned towards it regardless. And he continued to frown at the sight of the blind swordsman behind him, unaware of just how long the man had been there. Certainly not long though, otherwise the General certainly would've mentioned something about his approach.

Normally, Raiden could deal well enough with the man, after all they had a tendency of interacting quiet frequently throughout the years; they both worked around the same group of people after all, and would occasionally cross paths from time to time. Still, it didn't seem to quell the amused look on the blind man's face, which told him enough that this interaction was going to be rough.

Even now, after all the passing decades, it was still an oddity to Raiden of just how a man like Kenshi could end up here, as a working member of the Special Forces. Not exactly official anyways considering that the man had never gotten around to putting his name down on paper- but then again, neither had Sonya. She always remarked that it was simply easier to have him listed as an off-site Consultant when dealing with the Red Dragon clan, or with Outworld ordeals.

She said it was easier on H.R. and P.R. when it came down to it as well.

But Kenshi was close enough in rank to count.

The swordsman had been working for the SF for decades now, and had managed to twist several severe situations into their favor. It would be a shame and an insult to not count him in as being a part of the Earthrealm forces, especially given how loyal he was to the SF, and to the General herself.

And such a thought sparked an idea.

"Since you already seem to know of the situation, perhaps you could help with this predicament," Raiden offered. "After all, you know the General on a... more personal level than I do."

"I may already have one foot in the grave, but I'm not looking to get the other one in there so quick," Kenshi replied- catching onto the plan quicker than Raiden would've liked, although he wasn't surprised by it. The man had more than likely been reading the situation like an open book, peeling the pages of it back one by one. "Maybe if I was young and reckless again, but for once I have knowledge on my side with this one."

Raiden sighed and moved to cross his arms over his chest- not quite willing to give up despite the man's immediate shut down. He had dealt with the swordsman plenty of times before, he knew what strings he needed to pull. "In regards to Queen Sindel and I's wedding, you should know that an invitation has been extended to you as well."

"That is an honor to hear, Lord Raiden," Kenshi spoke in return. "I'm sure that decision wasn't easy for you to make."

He chuckled lightly at the remark, knowing well of the slight jab that came with it. The man had provided plenty enough support to Earthrealm's defense, it would be a slap to the face not to have him there. But at the same time, he had known of the swordsman well before his gaining of Sento, back when he was more of a hellion to Earthrealm than a protector.

"Yes well, the invitation offers a plus one for you to bring anyone of your liking," Raiden continued. "Perhaps you could better convince the General to join us that way."

Raiden was almost certain that had the man not been wearing his trademark blindfold, one would've been able to witness the arching of at least one eyebrow. Or at least the subtle furrowing of a brow at the... rather dangerous suggestion.

And that was really where the man's hefty attire played its part.

The easiest way to read someone, to spot a weakness, a break in strength even, was through their facial expressions, their facial reactions; one could learn all they could through body language that way. People gave away more than they realized through even the smallest of motions, the smallest of gestures. A simple clench of the hand could unravel more than one could imagine.

Considering that the swordsman was blind, he couldn't exactly do that.

But he held the ability to read minds, to track emotions- a better suited skill.

And since he knew what peopled looked for, what people looked at, he covered his own features to keep himself from giving things away.

In all his years of knowing the swordsman, of hearing people speaking about him, they all repeated the same thing. They all said that Kenshi was near impossible to read- that there was nothing to read from him. No emotions, no expressions. And even if one could see his eyes, it wasn't like there was much left of them to give anything away either.

It was all in the name of protection, in the name of hiding.

It was why the man was so good at blending into places that he shouldn't- even despite his ability to stick out in a crowd.

"Are you suggesting that I ask General Blade to be my date to your wedding?"

Another moment of pause, a slight twitch on the corners of the man's lips.

"You _are_."

A fair accusation.

"I am," Raiden nodded. "After all, a man like you still seeks out a challenge from time to time, correct?"

"I can't tell if you're patronizing me, or honestly seeking help in convincing General Blade to be at your wedding," Kenshi replied, only to correct himself. "Actually, I already know the answer to that, and I can't say that I'm surprised- only a little disappointed."

"That is a fair assessment."

The swordsman responded with a quiet laugh before he briefly turned his head to one side- no doubt hearing something in the distance that had caught his attention. The Special Forces base was notorious for being loud during certain parts of the day, mostly if the mechanics were out doing maintenance, or if the firing squad was out doing tests in the practice field. Either or, both units had a tendency of being a nightmare for the swordsman, who usually relied on Sonya to give him a heads up in order to avoid the base during those hours.

It was quiet now though, so there was no telling what out there had caught the man's attention. Perhaps nothing had, and the man was simply fooling him with the gesture- looking to lower his guard, and expose his thoughts.

The slightest turn of the man's head was enough to reveal the pale collection of scars peeking up over the collar of his suit- spiderwebbed, thin, and white against his skin.

The sight of it sent a cold shiver through Raiden's body as he was reminded of how they had gotten there.

Barely though.

The memories, even to him, were barely there still- but Raiden knew that something had happened, and knew that he was the cause of them. When he hadn't been in his right mind, when he had been gripped by and battled against corruption and dark energy, he had lashed out at anyone who went against him. Lashed at anyone who so much as stepped out of line, or spoke against him.

And the swordsman had a horrible habit of doing both.

Raiden still wasn't certain of what had happened, or how it happened- and of course the swordsman wouldn't say either. Kenshi oddly insisted that the scars had always been there, that they were just hard to notice in the wrong kind of lighting, or underneath all of his armor; the man was very rarely seen outside of his hefty attire- provoking plenty of rumors of what he was hiding underneath it.

But still, Raiden knew.

He knew at some point he must've grabbed the man, must've sent hundreds of thousands of bolts of electricity through him- leaving behind a patchwork of scars burnt white on his skin. A patchwork of lightning bolts permanently marred across his body. This was not the first time he had struck the man with such a move, of course previous battles had never so powerful, nor so harmful.

With hope, that would be the last.

"You're definitely patronizing me now," Kenshi concluded, before a brief sigh broke across his lips. "I'll see what I can do, but no promises." A mirrored response from General Blade perhaps. "I suppose I owe you one anyways."

Raiden wasn't certain of where this favor had come from, or if there was even one there to begin with, but... he wouldn't argue it. Not for now at least- not when it was bowing in his favor for once. "And I thank you for your services."

"Don't thank me just yet," the swordsman reminded. "General Blade is very rarely caught off-guard, and I have no doubts that she'll know exactly what I'm trying to do. And more importantly, that she'll know that you were behind this." A subtle pause before the man continued. "You do know that she wouldn't miss your wedding no matter what, right?"

"Of course I do, but sometimes she likes to make things difficult for me, and sometimes I like to return the favor," Raiden replied. "And what better way is there than using her favorite person to do it."

"You're going to get me killed."

Raiden chuckled lightly at the remark. "If you can do this, Kenshi, with success I might add, I just might have to speak to the Elder Gods about having you join their rank." A partial tease that he knew would get underneath the swordsman's skin. "After all, you've fought enough to-"

"Raiden, please, we've been through this enough times before. Those are false rumors, and you know it. They have no basis, and no evidence- let alone any eyewitnesses to back the claims," Kenshi interrupted- and Raiden once more gave a brisk laugh at the denial. The man was notorious for having all sorts of rumors, ranging from semi-believable to outright outrageous, follow him wherever he went. In certain parts of Outworld, just mentioning his name alone would cause a flood of stories to pour out.

His youth had been spent being a living nightmare in both Earthrealm, and throughout other realms.

And even to this day, Kenshi wouldn't explain just why exactly he legally couldn't step foot in Orderrealm.

Most of the rumors, and stories were nothing more than exaggerations perhaps, but they were interesting to keep a note on. Fujin rather enjoyed collecting them- insisting that they were for archiving and research.

But Raiden knew several of the stories by heart, by experience.

"Protector Gods, _however_ , are another story."

* * *

Raiden had been hoping that the unveiling conversation with Cage would go by a bit smoother than the one with Sonya had.

But even he had to admit that he had been foolish in thinking such a thing.

Now, the ordeal would've been bearable if it had just been between he and Johnny. Raiden knew that he would've been able to brush off the off-the-cuff jokes, and poking fun with relative ease, and a few groans, as he always did. But unfortunately lady fortune did not smile kindly upon him today. Instead, she only seemed to offer him a barely muffled snicker behind a graceless hand as he found Johnny in the training fields with his daughter, who, perhaps unfortunately, was a near perfect doppelgänger of the man himself.

It wasn't much of a surprise to find them training together though. The two would always train when they could between complex schedules, and considering that they had similar fighting styles, they were each the perfect sparring partner. Unfortunately, and Raiden could only assume it was through watching her father fight, as well as these one-on-one matches, that had Cassie picking up her father's habit of below-the-belt hits. Of course, thankfully they were not quite to the gruesome state that her mother had hit two decades before.

The grinding of the General's boot in the former Warlock's groin was not something that could quite be shaken off and forgotten about.

"Sweet, so we're finally gonna have a 'Save-the-Date' card," Johnny spoke, already pulling his phone out of his custom-designed shorts- always embroidered with his last name down the sides. "I'll mark out the days right now, and make sure my agent doesn't plan anything over them. Hell, I'll take a couple days before it too so I know when to get ready. Hey, what exactly do you get for a Proctor God, and an Edenian Queen who probably already have everything? I can get you a nice blender, or a nice twelve-piece knife set. Do either of you drive?"

Already off to a good start.

"Do not worry yourself over it," Raiden assured. "All we want is for everyone to be there, and the promise of a more protective future."

"Look my Rai-man, don't you worry about that, I wouldn't miss it for the world- hey, can I make like a huge banner to go across the front of the palace?"

Raiden gave a brief sigh and had to resist the urge to rub at his temple.

He was partly afraid that the built up energy in his fingers might come loose, and he would end up frying himself.

"Did you tell mom, I mean, the _General_ , about this?" Cassie questioned. It wasn't uncommon for the young woman to stumble between comfort and formalities in regards to Sonya; the woman was both her mother, and the General of the Special Forces. It was a delicate balance of which title to refer to the woman as, whether it be on or off the SF grounds.

The choice usually depended on whatever company was around at the time.

"Yes, and... we have agreed to speak about it later," Raiden answered. "She was unfortunately in a rush this morning."

"Yeah, good luck," Cage offered with a slight scoffing tone.

And he could not blame the man for replying as such.

"At the current moment, I have an inside agent who will hopefully be working this into my favor," Raiden continued. "So we shall see how it went when I speak with General Blade later on this evening."

The Cage prodigy let out a low whistle. "Aw, Raiden, you might've just killed the poor guy," Cassie replied, before she decided to shift the subject back on track. "So how is this wedding thing going to work exactly? I mean, do we show up and leave between the days, or what?"

"From my understanding, each attendee will have a room inside of the guest wing of the palace that will house you for every day of the ceremony. Each room will be accommodated accordingly, and each person will be given a traditional piece of Edenian wear to have for the third day," Raiden explained, recalling the information from his shared research with Sindel. The amount of information they pooled had been overwhelming to say the least. "We will all be staying in Edenia for the duration of the wedding- of course, General Blade may step out from time to time as she wishes, or as needed be. And anyone else may do so as well as long as they are back on time for the following ceremony the next day."

Cassie nodded with the information, before she toyed with the sunglasses propped on the crown of her head. "So uh, will dates be required to this thing? Like, is it bad mojo if we show up single?"

A bit of a absurd question, but knowing the different customs from all of the other realms, and the different customs within those customs, it didn't seem too outrageous to ask.

If anything, it was rather safe to do so.

"No, a date is not necessary if you do not wish to have one," Raiden assured, and then added, against better judgement, "or cannot get one."

Cassie blew a brief raspberry at the subtle jab.

Johnny laughed, knowing well that the jab was aimed more at him than anyone. "Whoa there, Raiden, look, I don't think anyone in the Cage family has ever had to worry about not getting a date," the movie star offered, before he turned his focus to his daughter and teasingly nudged her. "You know, you and Kung Jin have been spending a _lot_ of time together recently, you could always take him."

Cassie gave what looked to be a sympathetic smile before she patted her father on the shoulder. "One day, dad, they'll find a cure for people like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Raiden took that as his opening to leave- preferring not to get into the middle of whatever might happen next. "Yes well, since I've said my piece, I'll step out and allow the two of you to resume your duties. I'll speak more in-depth on this matter at a closer date so we might all be on the same page when the wedding begins."

"Yeah, sounds good my Thunder guy, we'll be looking forward to it- now hang on, Cassie, just what did you mean-"

* * *

"It would seem as though you have been busy, brother."

Raiden gave a sigh at the voice that greeted him as soon as he arrived back at the Jinsei Temple; he wasn't the least bit surprised to find the Wind God waiting for him. Either Fujin was able to pick up on his rather erratic energy, or the man just happened to time his travel across the courtyards near perfectly to when he had arrived. And knowing the younger man, either or were quite possible.

"It has been a long day," Raiden spoke, as he moved across the slick courtyard- wet from yet another recent spill of rain. He wasn't looking to stay long, but certainly long enough to recover his energy, and quell the headache settling in behind his eyes. "And knowing that it is not yet over tells me that it will only get longer from here."

"Come now, things cannot be that bad," Fujin assured, as the man followed alongside him.

"I have to speak with General Blade later this evening."

"Yes well, so perhaps things are a little stressful," the Wind God quickly rephrased. "But you are planning a wedding, things are bound to get out of hand from time to time. Plus, you and I both know that General Blade will always stand with you- perhaps not always quiet, nor agreeing with you, but still. Her loyalty remains."

Somehow the words weren't nearly as comforting as the other man might've thought they would be.

If anything, they only added to his growing headache.

"Don't you have more windows to break?" Raiden retorted, as he ducked in through one of the side doors through the Archives. With everyone training at this hour, the Archives was the quietest place in the temple. He would do well with avoiding Master Bo' Rai Cho for some time here as well- despite this being the common room to lock oneself into, it was always the last room that the Shaolin Master checked.

"I was never at fault for those," his brother defended.

And Raiden chuckled lightly at the rather overused defense. "So I am to believe that Kung Lao alone was not only able to get his hat across two courtyards, but also angled enough so that it hit the third story windows of the bell tower?"

"He is very skilled in how he throws it."

Yes, there was no doubting the man's skill in being able to throw and use his hat in combat.

But he was certainly not _that_ skilled.

"How many more do you have to spread the news to?" Fujin questioned.

"I covered most of our allies in Earthrealm, and I've gotten the difficult ones taken care of first," Raiden answered. "I still need to visit with the Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei, as well as hunt down several specific members of the Shaolin; stealth has never been the clan's strong suit, and yet some of them are impossible to track at times. Sindel will be handling Outworld, and our... estranged allies there- and with luck, she's having a better time at it than I am."

"Yes well, her personality might have something to do with it."

Always a snarky one.

"Do remember that it is never too late to be cut from the guest list," Raiden reminded.

"You wouldn't even if you wanted to," Fujin replied. "And even if you did, I would go to Sindel."

"We're not even married, and you're already going behind my back to her."

* * *

It was near midnight by the time he made it back to the Special Forces base.

It had taken all day and then some to spread the news, and to deal with the onslaught of congratulations- and some unintentional advice. But despite the late hour, he knew that the General would still be awake- and would be for a few more hours still. Which would be enough time for them to speak once more about this.

"You know your wedding isn't exactly something I can miss," Sonya started, spearheading the conversation before Raiden even had her office door closed behind him.

The woman looked every bit like she had spent the entire day running from one end of the base to the other. Like she had spent every free moment either crammed in a small conference room staring at a screen, or crammed in a car driving to the next conference to speak in person- and also stare at another screen.

It was impossible to not notice that, despite the late hour, she had a fresh cup of coffee sitting on her desk- and the small coffee machine wedged in the corner of her office was still going.

"You caught me at a bad time this morning, but you know I would make my schedule work. At least for Queen Sindel's sake."

Of course.

"Careful Blade, this is beginning to sound like an apology," Raiden remarked, preferring to stand instead. It was late, and there was much for them to discuss, but he wasn't looking to stay out too late. Sindel requested that he visit her some time the next morning, and he was all the more willing to abide in doing so. After all, it would be a horrible start to a new marriage if he didn't come to her occasional beck and call.

Sonya chuckled briefly at the comment as one hand carefully pushed back the loose strands of hair that had fallen across her brow. Fingers pinched at the bridge of her nose before she continued. "What I'm trying to say is that you didn't have to turn Kenshi on me like that."

"I figured a little extra insurance wouldn't hurt," he replied. "But if it's any consolation, he was fairly reluctant to agree to it." A slight pause before he continued out of simple curiosity. "What did you tell him?"

"That he had to beat me in a best two-out-of-three match, and only then would I consider it," Sonya answered, leaning back in her chair now. "Look, I'm going to go to your wedding on my own ticket, and that's that. But if Kenshi and I both happen to be there, and happen to arrive at the same time, and maybe happen to be wearing matching attire, than people are allowed to come to whatever conclusions they want to."

"Matching attire?" Raiden questioned.

"Look, Kenshi is good at what he does, and everyone knows what he can do. He can move people with his mind- he can kill people with his mind if he wants to, but it doesn't change the fact that he's still blind," she started. "And if he's going to be representing Earthrealm, especially at the wedding for our Protector God, he can't show up looking like he's been traveling in Outworld for three months, and that he's killed twenty people while he was doing it." Sonya paused long enough to take a sip of coffee. "At the very least, I don't have to worry about Cage for once; the man's always dressed for everything. Cassie and her team are going to be difficult though- not sure exactly what the traditional wedding attire for the Shirai Ryu or Shaolin are, but we'll have to work it in somehow."

Raiden had to admit that he was a little surprised at how much the woman already had planned out. Just that morning Sonya had seemed disinterested, but now she was making plans, and getting things put into motion. And being concerned about Earthrealm's presentation was a new one. Then again, the woman had to plan her own wedding to one of Earthrealm's biggest actors; the wedding was practically televised for months before it actually happened, and still continued to be televised months after. A single slip-up and the paparazzi would've been all over it.

It wasn't surprising that just the thought of a wedding would make her cringe.

He watched as she rubbed at her temple, before she pinched the bridge of her nose once more.

"You and Queen Sindel wouldn't happen to already have your seating charts done, would you? It's early, but you can never plan too early for this kind of shit."

And already he knew that the General had something important that she was going to bring up. During her previous wedding to Cage, it had taken her several days to work out a seating chart; apparently between the two of them, they were each bringing their own family issues to the wedding. Cage came from a family populated with names read straight out of movie credits, and because of such, there was constant bickering amongst each other over stolen movie roles; Cage vaguely mentioned that there were deeper meanings underlined in such trivia arguments, but that was the extent that the man would discuss it.

Sonya came from a family of military soldiers and veterans; the Special Forces practically ran through her bloodline. Unfortunately, it brought on a lot of political drama with it, and because of such, certain family members couldn't be seated close to one another.

He remembered the two of them joking that they should elope instead and avoid the mess overall.

"I... can't say that we have," Raiden started. "I'll be speaking with Sindel tomorrow morning, however, so if there is a concern you wish to bring up, the two of us can discuss it tomorrow."

"Good, because I don't know what kind of history Kenshi and Mileena have, but something went wrong along the way, and those two cannot be seated next to each other," Sonya spoke. "They go off on each other every time they so much as sense or smell one another- and the last thing anyone needs is them ruining the wedding. Not that I think they would; Kenshi has some pretty solid self-control when he needs it, but I don't want to make assumptions."

Yes, he too was aware of the... ongoing tension between the two.

Despite all the stories about the man, there was little to nothing detailing why he and the Outworld Empress were so violent towards one another.

"I will certainly bring it up then," Raiden assured. "During the ceremony though, it wouldn't hurt for you to keep an eye, and maybe a pair of handcuffs on him."

"He can break out of them," Sonya informed, "but maybe I can sweet talk him into fucking off for once."

Raiden chuckled at the imagery- which was both odd, and a little terrifying to imagine.

"Just have the regular team surround Kenshi, and have Tanya and Jade close to Mileena; it should be enough to keep the two of them distracted. And if not, at least they'll have a couple people they have to go through first in order to get to each other- kind of like a barricade," Sonya continued, before she offered a brief shrug. "But who knows, maybe the two of them will put whatever differences they have for each other aside for one day."

And here was the part that he had somewhat anticipated would happen.

And he internally cringed at the correction he would have to make.

"Five days," Raiden reminded.

Sonya groaned quietly in response. "Right, right, five days," she repeated, before she sat forward and activated the holoscreen device on her desk. A quick projection shot up between them in the form of a light-blue hologram, which at first showcased some reports the woman must've downloaded earlier that day. Her fingers slid across the seemingly imaginary pages, closing through them until it resided on a blank screen, which then allowed her to pull up a calendar. Already, the current month was nearly filled to the brim with a mess of schedules and appointments. As was the next month, and the following one as well.

But by the third month, where things seemed to have cleared up, or at least had yet to be penciled in, her fingers made one effortless swipe.

And marked out five days.

"There. Proof that I have you scheduled in now," Sonya remarked, before she closed out of the device and turned back to him. "Now you have nothing to worry about. I'll be there, and I'll make sure everyone else is there too- and I'll try to leave the electronics at home."

"And the gauntlets?" he pressed.

"Unless I can find shoes that'll match them, they'll be staying home too."


End file.
